


Scarlet and Nightshade

by ravendas



Series: Crimson and Ebony [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Angry Sex, Coffee, Dominance, Drunken Confessions, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Frustration, Headcanon, Hurt/Comfort, Interrogation, Jealousy, Mind Control, Mind Games, POV Alternating, Pain, Psychological Drama, Reunions, Self-Harm, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2018-12-02 02:27:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 108,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11499828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravendas/pseuds/ravendas
Summary: The saga of how a failed Jedi trainee who narrowly escaped death during the fall of the Jedi Temple became a Sith apprentice who rose through adversity to become one of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy.This story begins in Balmorra where Hyperia meets the Imperial officer who will change her life forever....for good or ill, she may never truly know.It will mostly follow the general outline of the original stories, but there will be timeline deviations and lots (and lots and lots) of head-canon....because I enjoy telling the story how I think it should have happened...as well as lots of background, behind-the-scenes digging into everyone's brains to figure out motivations as to why events occurred the way they did (or the way I wanted them to).The main focus is the relationship between my Sith Warrior and Quinn and how it develops through time (which in many cases will deviate from the original storyline). "Scarlet and Nightshade" covers Balmorra to Ziost, while "Charcoal and Gilding" covers KotFE and beyond.





	1. When I Met You, My World Fell Apart (Balmorra Pt1)

**Author's Note:**

> **UPDATE 2/20/2018: I sincerely apologize for taking such a long break away from this work. There's been a ton of things going on in my RL, plus I ended up taking a break away from playing SWTOR for awhile in favor of Dragon Age. My writing mojo hit for that, so I switched gears for awhile and pounded out a bunch of chapters for that, as well as starting a new SWTOR work for my Mirialan smuggler.  
> I just jumped back into playing SWTOR again yesterday, then decided to re-read this (along with everyone's wonderful comments) and get back into writing it again since it has been my most popular work thusfar. I hate that so many of you have been kept on hold for so long. I'm hoping to get at least one or two new chapters out this week. Thanks to all my readers for your support.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know what it takes to move on  
> I know how it feels to lie  
> All I want to do  
> Is trade this life for something new  
> Holding on to what I haven't got
> 
> Sitting in an empty room  
> Trying to forget the past  
> This was never meant to last  
> I wish it wasn't so  
> \--"Waiting for the End" by Linkin Park
> 
> Balmorra....a beginning for some, an end for others...and where our story unfolds....

Balmorra, Part One

 

Hyperia stepped off her ship onto the worn deck plates of the Balmorran landing pad. _Her ship._ It seemed a bit surreal, if she thought upon it too long. It seemed that she would be always be on Korriban. But now, here she was, on her first assignment from her master, Darth Baras, having flown here in the ship he had given to her. She would have to think of a name for it at some point.

Soft footfalls sounded behind her as the Twi’lek, Vette, descended the ramp. “Not the worst place I’ve been. At least it doesn’t smell bad. And anything’s better than hanging out in Sith Land. Place gives me the creeps.” Vette shuddered visibly as the image of Darth Baras ruthlessly torturing the Republic agent flashed through her head.

Hyperia eyed the blue-skinned girl with faint wry amusement, “Get used to it. We will be visiting there often.” Even though the Twi’lek girl’s unwaveringly cheery disposition could be annoying at times, Hyperia did have to admit that it was nice to have someone at her back who she did not have to worry was going to shove a lightsaber into it.

Vette shrugged as they made off through the spaceport, “Well, at least we’re not there now. So who’s this contact we’re supposed to meet? Some Imperial lieutenant, right?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Quinn. Another of Baras’ people”, her nose wrinkled in faint disgust as she recalled the sniveling wretch that had greeted them upon their arrival on Dromund Kaas. She could only hope that the Imperial officer would not be cut from the same cloth as that creature.

Vette chuckled at the expression on Hyperia’s face, “Afraid he’s going to be some scrawny old bootlicking idiot like the last guy? You never know…he might be young and attractive! And, I don’t have much reason to like Imperials, but you have to admit that their uniforms are pretty spiffy!”

Hyperia couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Vette as they exited the spaceport into the Balmorran afternoon, “I wouldn’t hold my breath. And what if he is? Are you planning on molesting him yourself?”

“No! I was thinking about you! You need to have some fun, loosen up a bit! Doesn’t the Sith Code say something about passion?”

Hyperia stopped dead in her tracks and fixed a withering gaze upon the Twi’lek, “You forget your place! Do you honestly think it would be at all appropriate for me to entertain thoughts of that nature towards one of Baras’ people?! Or, for that matter, smart? _Think_ Vette! Darth Baras is a spymaster…”

Vette’s blue skin turned a few shades paler as the smile instantly evaporated from her angular face, “Oh stang! I’m so sorry! I was just…I don’t know what I was thinking!”

“You weren’t thinking. Now hush, we’re almost there.” She had removed the slave collar that the Korriban overseer had placed around the girl’s neck, but that did not make the Twi’lek her equal by any means. Occasionally, she had to be reminded of that.

“Sorry.” Even as the words left Vette's lips, she still couldn’t stop herself from mumbling, “I take over all the chores on the ship for a week if you’re right….I get a week’s vacation on Nar Shadaa if I’m right.”

The urge to force choke the girl warred with Hyperia’s sense of intrigue. Intrigue won. “Fine, accepted.”

\-----------------------------

Lieutenant Malavai Quinn was not having a good day. Darth Baras had contacted him that morning to inform him that his apprentice would be arriving later, then gave him a list of everything she would need. It was an extensive list of both equipment and information. He had mobilized his rather limited staff into assisting, but was now beginning to regret his decision. Even now, Corporal Jellins was reporting his pitiful failure to retrieve an exact account of the forces guarding the satellite control tower. _A lot of droids, maybe a hundred or more!_ was not going to be the sort of accurate intel he had hoped to give the Sith when she arrived. He could only hope that Baras still found him valuable enough to not to kill him out-of-hand for the inaccuracy.

“Sir- I apologize, Sir. It was the best I could do.” Jellins’ sniveling interrupted his morose train of thought. Quinn had managed to keep his composure intact most of the day, but even now as he heard the door to his office slide open and felt the familiar whisper of the Dark Side draw near, the stress of the day’s events broke through and he lunged towards the terrified soldier.

“If that’s your best, you’re useless to me. I can shoot you dead with a clear conscience. Is that what you want?!”

Jellins’ green eyes went wide. He had never seen the Lieutenant this angry before. He had always maintained a cool, professional manner, no matter the circumstances. To see him this way was alarming. “N-No Sir!”

Out of the corner of Quinn’s eye, he caught the movement of two people approaching. Baras’ apprentice...and a twi'lek slave, it seemed. He quickly reined in his temper, though the smoldering anger still infused his gaze as he fixed it upon Jellins’ terrified features. “Then _focus_ , Jellins. Dismissed.”

The frightened private practically ran out of the room, giving the two newcomers a wide berth, as he escaped his potential death at the hands of the angry officer, not wanting to revisit it at the hands of a Sith.

Quickly pulling himself together, Quinn sketched a quick, but respectful bow to the women. “I apologize for the delay, my Lord. Lieutenant Malavai Quinn. I am to be your liaison here on Balmorra.”

\------------------------------

Hyperia strode into the office that had been pointed out to her as belonging to Baras’ contact. The voices of two men carried across the main room as she entered. One obviously berating the other. From the distance, she could see that both were fairly young, though the dark-haired one seemed a bit older and in a position of command. She felt Vette lean in and whisper, “So who wins the bet if he’s young, but sniveling?”, the Twi’lek’s gaze lingering on the younger blonde man being reprimanded.

“Hush Vette.” She slowed her pace only slightly to observe how the interaction unfolded and could barely hide a scowl as they drew close enough to hear the dark-haired man call the other “Jellins”. So this was Quinn. As much as she would hate to admit it, Vette had won the bet. Even now, she caught a look of victory on the girl’s angular features the second the name was mentioned.

Hyperia had to admit the man was attractive: tall, dark haired, pale skin, and the most piercing blue eyes. But what intrigued her the most was his demeanor. When they walked in, even she could feel the roiling torrent of anger…and even a flash of fear…from the man. But now as the man Jellins fled, it was as if a durasteel wall had slammed down and only the faintest flicker of emotion could be felt from behind it. It called to mind an old adage she had heard once, “Still waters can run quite deeply”. She had told herself…and Vette….that this was a mission, and that this man would be a contact, nothing more. But, she could not help but want to see if she could crack that shell and get a glimpse of the passion she had seen for that brief moment.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the expectant and curious look in his eyes, and she realized that he had introduced himself while she had been pondering. Silently berating herself for losing herself so easily in thought, she replied, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant.”

He seemed mildly surprised at her polite greeting, but again, she felt the emotion quickly stifled, as he continued, “Lord Baras will brief you personally, but I am to acquaint you with the climate on Balmorra first.”

“By all means, go ahead”, she replied with a brief gesture of acquiescence. As he began speaking, she found herself distracted again. Not only by the man himself, but by the utter smugness roiling off of Vette who was standing silently behind her. The Twi’lek was never going to let her live this down. Maybe she should have left the shock collar on.

Having finished the briefing concerning the rebellion on Balmorra and the Republic’s almost-certain involvement (in which she caught yet another brief glimpse of emotion from the otherwise-professional officer as he spoke of vanquishing the Empire’s ever-present enemy), Quinn opened the holochannel to Baras.

Her master appeared before them and immediately dismissed Quinn from the room. Hyperia could not help but allow her gaze to linger on the Lieutenant’s departing figure for a moment before she realized that Baras was probably watching…and noticing. She could not help but feel a slight twinge of paranoia as her master’s basso voice rumbled through the connection

“Quinn owes his career to me, but we should keep the details of your mission between the two of us.” Hyperia could not help but be even more intrigued by this. Why would someone like Baras take such an interest in a mere Imperial lieutenant? This man who she had taken for a “simple contact” was turning out to be one layer of mystery upon another.

\---------

As Quinn strode from the main room and into his quarters after being dismissed for the moment, he couldn’t help but replay the past few minutes of his meeting with Baras’ apprentice over in his mind.

He had certainly been taken aback by the woman at her first appearance. She was not at all what he had expected. Most Sith tended towards looking as imposing and frightening as possible, but she seemed quite the opposite. She was a young woman of average height, brownish-red hair cut in a simple bob, and bronze skin. Even her attire was a simple black overrobe and pants with subtle gold accents, and none of the oversized accessories or mechanical accouterments that other Sith seemed to favor. If it had not been for the golden tint of her eyes, the livid scars encircling her throat, and the cybernetics caressing the curve of her jaw, as well as the obvious Dark Side power exuding from her, he would have mistaken her as a simple government functionary….a diplomat or ambassador, perhaps. And her mannerisms added even more to that impression. She was polite, well-spoken, with an odd accent that wasn’t entirely Imperial. It sounded more as an affectation layered over another, similar, accent. He couldn’t quite puzzle it out and he couldn’t help but want to know more.

 _Focus, Malavai. The last thing you need right now is to get too interested in Baras’ apprentice. That would be a recipe for total disaster_ , he thought to himself.

Almost as if on cue, his personal holo flickered to life with the image of Baras. “You may return, Lieutenant. Make certain that you provide whatever my apprentice needs to complete her mission. It is of the utmost importance. She will be starting with the assault on the satellite control tower.”

Quinn repressed a twinge of guilt at that, recalling Jellins’ incompetence, but bowed respectfully, “I will make certain she does not fail, my Lord.”

“See that you do”, the Sith Lord’s voice held a weight of malice as the holo flickered off and Quinn felt his stomach churn. Even without being provided an exact number, he knew the satellite control tower’s defenses were incredibly formidable. He had passed that information onto Baras, and could only hope that his apprentice was up for the task at hand….for his sake as well as hers.

\------------------------

Hyperia quietly pondered the specifics of the mission as Baras ended the transmission. Odd to go through such trouble to destroy an entire compound just to erase some sensitive information. It seemed a job better suited to a slicer’s talents. But she understood his reasoning to an extent: destroy everything so that no one knows what was specifically targeted, and motive for the destruction cannot be ascertained. Of course it did not help that the description of “a death trap of mechanical security” had been used…and by Quinn. He did not seem the sort to over exaggerate, so this did not inspire confidence in her.  But, if Baras thought she could handle it, she would do her utmost not to disappoint him.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Quinn re-entered the room, carrying a small metal disk. Affording her yet another brief bow, he immediately began speaking, “My lord, I’ve prepared what you will need for your assault on the satellite control tower.” He handed her the disk as he continued, “In order to destroy the mainframe, you will mount this charge at the base and activate it. Then contact me and I’ll be able to detonate.”

Hyperia turned the small disk over in her hands and couldn’t help but toss him a crooked smile, “Preferably after I am at a safe distance away from the tower, of course.”

A flush of red tinged his pale skin as he stammered, “Yes, of course my Lord! That goes without saying. One hundred meters should suffice. I apologize for not specifying.”

“Do not worry yourself, Lieutenant. I know that you weren’t trying to get me killed”, she chuckled as she turned to leave.

“Of course not, my Lord. Best of luck to you out there.”

\---------------

Quinn sank into the chair in his quarters after the Sith and her servant departed, sinking his head into his hands with a weary sigh. _By the Emperor, please let this day not get any worse._ Aside from the fact that Baras’ apprentice wasn’t a psychopathic maniac, it seemed as though he was trapped in the middle of an avalanche and couldn’t find a way to solid ground. Maybe the fact that she was so out-of-the-ordinary for a Sith was one of the main reasons he felt so completely off-balance. It wasn’t just the fear of death at Baras’ hands that made him worry for her success at this nearly-impossible mission. He actually feared for her, and he did not know how to deal with that. It didn’t help that his distraction had caused him to completely forget to give her the safe minimum distance from the blast. It would be bad enough for her to die during the mission, but utterly unthinkable for her to die because of a careless omission.

The day was barely half over and already looking to be a disaster. Part of him hoped that Baras’ mission would be completed quickly so that he could get back to his usual routine, but another part realized that once it was over….one way or the other…he would never see her again. _Why does that bother me so? I’ve only just met her. She could be a complete sadist underneath the good manners and average appearance. It would not be unlike Baras to pick someone like that as one of his apprentices. He always had the talent for deception. Someone like that would be perfect: seemingly innocuous on the outside to lure in the unwary, then strike with cold, cruel precision. I will have to be on my guard._

And so, alone with his thoughts, he waited for her signal….or one from Baras about her death (and no doubt, his). Either way, it was going to be a long day….

 


	2. Wicked Game (Balmorra Pt2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way.  
> What a wicked thing you do, to make me dream of you."  
> -"Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak
> 
> Things start getting a bit more intense...and uncomfortable...for Hyperia and Quinn as the mission to eliminate Baras' spy network on Balmorra progresses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of Balmorra. The next one should be the last...and will provide a little more background on Hyperia.  
> This chapter was a little more difficult to write because there is so much I want to delve into and I feel like I'm leaving things out (like more interaction with Vette, Quinn's background, etc), but I don't want to get too bogged down in details. So a lot of that will be covered in later chapters after leaving Balmorra. I have to keep my readers wanting more, after all! ;-) It will have to be a nice slow burn....appropriate, I think. 
> 
> Again, I welcome comments and constructive criticism! They are great motivators (especially after being told by your 12-year-old daughter that a 47-year-old writing Star Wars fanfic is "just weird").

Balmorra, Pt 2

 

“So, I’m wondering about our trip to Nar Shaddaa….which cantina to hit up first? Slippery Slopes, Star Cluster? Ooo…maybe Club Ufora!” Vette ticked off each name on her fingers as she trailed behind Hyperia, her boots crunching on the dry Balmorran grass.

“What are you rambling on about? What is this about ‘our’ trip? I thought our deal was for _your_ vacation?” The Sith still seethed inwardly at losing her bet with the Twi’lek girl. Even though she was thankful that Lieutenant Quinn had not turned out to be a sniveling incompetent, it still rankled her that Vette had to keep going on about the whole thing.

Vette stopped dead in her tracks, eyeing Hyperia incredulously, “Wait, you were going to let me go alone?! Unsupervised…without a shock collar?! Not that I’m complaining…forget I mentioned it, really. Please forget I mentioned it. I’m totally okay with going alone.”

Hyperia couldn’t help but chuckle at the Twi’lek’s flustered stammering, “We shall see. Besides, according to you, I could do with some ‘loosening up’, so perhaps a week in Nar Shaddaa would be just the thing.”

“Whoa, a Sith on vacation on Nar Shaddaa? I don’t know if the galaxy is ready for that sort of experience! How do Sith party anyway? Play ‘Pin the Tail on the Slave’? No, wait….forget I asked. I probably don’t want to know.”

“No, you probably don’t”, Hyperia snuck an ominous tremor into her voice and smirked wickedly. Provoking Vette could be so much fun at times. “I think we’re at 100 meters.” She dropped the faux-evil façade and activated her comm. Within seconds, the flickering holo of Quinn appeared.

“My Lord, I have marked your progress and assume that you are a safe distance for detonation?”

“That is correct, Lieutenant. You many detonate when ready.”

“Very good, my Lord. I shall do so momentarily. But first, I have Darth Baras on holo for you. I will retreat and leave the line secure for you.” As promised, the holo wavered, resolving into the stockier form of her master.

“Apprentice, we have one more potentially compromising situation to resolve before you can confront Commander Rylon.” Hyperia had to restrain herself from emitting a weary sigh of frustration. Nothing was ever easy. As though wading through hordes of hostile droids to secure the tower wasn’t enough, there always had to be complications.

“You will need to invade a Republic keep and permanently silence the Commander’s son, a lowly ensign named Durmat. It seems that the Commander foolishly revealed his true allegiances to him. That makes him a loose end that must be excised.”

Hyperia could not help but shake her head in disbelief, “He signed his own son’s death warrant. He should have known that.”

“Yes, his son was the one chink in his otherwise flawless armor”, Hyperia could almost imagine the faintest hint of regret tinging her master’s voice, but quickly corrected herself. _I don’t think the man has ever regretted anything his entire life._ “I will signal Quinn to give you the details. Be swift.” Once again, the holo flickered, this time replaced once more by the Lieutenant’s visage.

“My Lord, Ensign Durmat is being held in the brig at the Republic crater outpost, awaiting questioning by the mysterious agent Baras has me tracking.”

 _Ah yes, the whole reason for this excursion in the first place….the Jedi Council’s investigator who is prodding around Baras’ spy network._ Again, Hyperia wondered if it would not have been so much quicker and easier to just have the investigator assassinated. But, according to Baras, that would only confirm the Council’s suspicion that there was something (or someone) being hidden. _Not that the destruction of a satellite control tower and subsequent assassination of a Republic commander and his son wouldn’t be enough to make even the dimmest on the Council take note,_ she mused _._ But Baras had not risen to where he was by being foolish or careless, so she had little choice but to go along with whatever convoluted plans he decided to lay.

As she ruminated over this, Quinn continued, “I will alert you if the investigator appears to be heading there. I will assume you wish to get to Durmat before she does.”

“Curiosity killed the reekcat, Lieutenant”, she curtly responded with a raised brow, though a faintly amused smirk tugged at her lips. _This Quinn is no fool, so he should know better than to ask too many questions…especially when it comes to Baras’ affairs._

Apparently, that thought occurred to him as well in the same instant, “I apologize, my Lord. My inquiring mind often gets the better of me. I won’t delay you any longer. Good luck on your mission. I will be here if you need anything.”

Hyperia had a playful response on the tip of her tongue just as the holo flickered off. She shelved her disappointment at being denied the opportunity to poke at the Imperial’s emotional armor and turned to Vette. “Well, let’s be off, shall we?” Almost on cue, the satellite control tower exploded into a fireball behind them, the heat from the conflagration pressing at their backs.

“After you, my Lord”, Vette still marveled at how Hyperia could manage to be so casual about all of the murder and wanton devastation left in their wake. _Must be something they teach at the Sith Academy, ‘How to Wade Through Carnage and Destruction As Though You’re Walking Through a Meadow 101’._ The Twi’lek shrugged and trotted along behind her master, deciding it was a mystery that she wasn’t all that keen on solving.

\----------------------------

As the holo flickered off, Quinn poured himself another cup of stimcaf before settling back into his chair for another few hours of watching the monitors and hoping Baras did not contact him with yet another complication that he had to instantly come up with intel for. Discerning the Ensign’s whereabouts wasn’t particularly difficult, but the task was made much more stressful when he had Baras practically breathing down his neck over the holo the whole time Quinn was searching. The fact that Baras’ apprentice had not only survived her assault on the satellite control tower, but had done so much faster than Quinn had thought possible, only served to increase the urgency to pass on the intel to her as soon as she had finished the task. He could not help but to feel a bit of pride of accomplishment, both in himself and Baras’ apprentice. _Odd, that I don’t even know her name._ Not that it mattered. To a lowly Imperial such as himself, all Sith were “My Lord”. Not to mention, most adopted a Sith name upon completion of their training, so even if she deigned to give him a name, it would not be her real name. _Why am I even thinking about this? Concentrate, Malavai. Baras will have my head if I lose tracking on this investigator because I was daydreaming over his apprentice._ Taking another swig of caf, he continued to skim watchfully over the multiple video screens. It was amazing how many cameras there were scattered about the planet, both known and otherwise….several planted by Baras himself. A pity there were none in the Republic base. He would have been intrigued to watch how the apprentice’s assault transpired. She must have been quite a potent fighter to wade through the forces at the control tower.

 _And there I go again…._ It seemed like all of his thoughts kept drifting towards her. Then, almost as if summoned by his thoughts, he heard female voices drifting through his barracks’ door from the main room of his office.

“I can’t believe he actually soiled himself! Poor fool. I don’t know if we’ve ever come across anyone more useless!” The voice wasn’t Imperial, so it had to be the apprentice’s Twi’lek slave. He had barely noticed her before. Alien slaves held no interest to him whatsoever.

“There’s still much of the galaxy left to explore”, the response held more than a trace of amusement and he actually heard a faint laugh from the Twi’lek.

“You are so right. But now the bar’s been set pretty high. I mean, low. You know what I mean.” The slave’s voice trailed off as he entered the room.

Quinn found he could not stifle his admiration for Baras’ apprentice as she approached. She had fought off countless droids at the control tower, then followed up with assaulting a Republic base, and she looked as though she had merely taken a leisurely stroll through Sobrik. He felt infinitely more tired than she looked and he had done nothing more strenuous than sifting through databases.

“I must be honest, your success at the control tower and Republic base has surprised me, my Lord. I computed the likelihood of success as nearly negligible. In my assessment, however, I only considered the capabilities of a typical Sith. Clearly you are not a typical Sith. I will adjust future calibrations to account for your unprecedented abilities.” Even as he spoke the words, he almost wished he could retract them. They were intended as a compliment, but came out rather…back-handed…and he was afraid she would be insulted. She almost appeared to be mildly insulted at first, a scowl crossing her features, arms crossing defensively. But there was a playful sparkle in her eye and a smile started creeping across her lips, almost as if against its own volition.

“Oh Quinn, you know just what to say.” She practically purred the words, and for a moment he wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or seductive….or both. Either way, he could feel his bearing slipping in her presence and feigned a brief cough to cover his discomfiture.

“I’m not too proud to acknowledge when I’m mistaken.” _Focus on the job at hand. The mission. Damnit, breathe._ Regaining his composure, he continued, “Lord Baras says it is time to zero in on your prime directive”, _whatever it may be_ , “and he awaits your contact. My barracks are yours. Activate the holocommunicator there whenever you are ready. The line is secure.”

He could feel her gaze sliding over him, the ghost of a smile still there toying at the corners of her lips. She appeared to want to say something, but changed her mind, instead opting for the same polite courtesy she had shown at their first meeting, “You have been most helpful. Thank you.”

Why did it always seem like she was constantly doing or saying the unexpected? He never felt like he was on solid ground with her…or the instant he thought he had found it, it started crumbling beneath him. Masking his unease with protocol, he merely bowed, and replied, “I will be right here if needed, my Lord.”

As she turned away to stride into the next room, he could not help but overhear the Twi’lek quietly comment, “He’ll be right here if you need him….while you’re in his barracks. Hehe…”

Quinn felt his face reddening even as the exasperated reply, “Hush Vette”, echoed faintly back. _This is definitely going to be the longest day of my life._

\--------------------

Hyperia swept her gaze curiously over the Lieutenant’s barracks as they entered. She was not surprised to find it in almost-perfect military order. Aside from the bed and a pair of comfortable chairs, it would be hard-pressed to look like anything aside from an extension of the main office. There was a cup holding the dregs of caf sitting on a ledge next to the main monitor, but little else marring the stark efficiency of the room. She couldn’t help but wonder if he kept his personal life locked as tightly away as his emotions, then brushed the thought aside as she activated the holo.

“Apprentice, I hope you can see the smile on my face”, Baras’ deep voice rumbled as the holo flickered to life. “You are turning me into a true believer.”

 _By the Emperor, was he actually trying to be_ funny _?!_ , she thought incredulously, trying to keep the surprise from her face. The full mask he always wore concealed not only his appearance, but any emotion that he did not choose to outwardly display. Cracking jokes was the last thing she would have ever expected from her master. And the compliment came as almost as much of a surprise.

Momentarily overwhelmed by the unexpected display of emotion on his part, she bowed, “That pleases me, master.”

He waved a hand dismissively in response and continued, “I’m sure you’re impatient to complete your time on that little rock. With the satellite tower destroyed and Commander Rylon’s son neutralized, my spy’s tracks are covered. Now the only threat to Rylon ever being exposed is the man himself. It’s time to end that threat…permanently.”

Hyperia had to admit that, while she was looking forward to bringing the mission here to a close, she was also not in a hurry to leave. Lieutenant Quinn was proving to be an amusing diversion and she felt a little disappointed that she had yet to truly crack open that shell around him. But, she realized that would probably take far more time than she had here and resigned herself to accepting that. She quickly pushed that feeling to the back of her mind, afraid that Baras could possibly sense it, and snarled, “I’m going to wipe him off the face of this planet.”

“Ready and able.” Baras sounded most pleased, “That is what makes you such a lethal and valuable asset. I’ve had him embedded within enemy ranks for decades. The extent of his contributions to the Empire’s interests is unrivaled.”

At first, she was taken in by the compliment, but then the juxtaposition of how his compliment flowed seamlessly into his admiration of the man she was sent to kill, caused her stomach to clench. _Rylon was also a ‘valuable asset’ and now he’s being eliminated out of sheer expedience. How long until it is my turn?_ She could not help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the Commander.

“The man is a hero. A pity he has to die.”

Baras waved a hand dismissively, “He has always known the risks.” _As does every Sith…._ she silently mused as he continued. “The Jedi investigator must have no hard evidence that Rylon was killed to silence him. It must look like anything but a targeted execution. Annihilate everyone there.”

Hyperia bowed her acquiescence. That would make her task both simpler and more difficult. Stealth would not be a factor, but there would have to be hundreds of people headquartered at the base. It would be a daunting task to wade her way through all of them. “It will be done.”

“See that it is. I’ve summoned Lieutenant Quinn. He’ll prepare you for your final task.” And with that, the holo faded, the approaching footsteps of the Imperial echoing on the metal deckplates a moment later.

\------------------------

Quinn mentally went over the intel he had accumulated for this final mission for Baras as he strode back into the room. He hated not having all the details, as Baras had shrouded the whole thing in secrecy. It made his job that much more difficult not knowing exactly what information his apprentice would need, aside from the basics. He could not help but resent Baras a little for the oversight. Sending his apprentice into such a dangerous place without all of the intel she would need to survive was foolish and suicidal. But, he had to trust in Baras’ will as well as her abilities. They had been formidable up to this point. Hopefully, they would serve her well in this case.

The two women were casually leaning on the monitor station as he entered, and he winced inwardly as his eyes trailed to the dirty cup sitting next to it. _Ugh, they must think I’m a terrible slob. And why is the twi’lek privy to these secret meetings?_ Shaking his head, he forced the thoughts behind a wall of professionalism as he passed the datapad with all the intel he had accumulated over to Baras’ apprentice.

“Your final target is the Balmorran Arms Factory”, he focused his gaze on the monitor behind her as she skimmed over the datapad’s information, “The resistance forces recently captured it and made it their headquarters. An incursion into the Arms Factory will be a monumental feat. I admit I am excited by the prospect of you laying waste to the place.”

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and returned his focus on her just in time to see a wicked smirk crawl across her lips, “Oh, I excite you, do I?”

 _What is she…? Oh stang, that is_ not _what I meant…..and she knows it. She’s toying with me._ He suddenly felt like a skittermouse pinned by the gaze of a manka cat. He felt his footing beginning to crumble once again. “What….well….what I meant was when I imagine all the ways you will shape the galaxy, I get very excited, yes.” _Oh no, that didn’t come out right at all. Damnit…focus…_ An unfamiliar panic started to settle into the pit of his gut as her expression grew even more intrigued. He quickly looked away, trying to avoid meeting the gaze of those golden eyes. Eyes that were now looking even more predatory.

“Admit it…you like me, don’t you, Quinn?” The sensual purr in her voice threatened to send him into a full-blown panic. It took every ounce of military training to try and regain his composure. Why was it that he could face death in a thousand ways without flinching, but this woman turned him into a stammering fool? And he couldn’t help but ask himself, _Is she wrong? No, I can’t think of that. She is Baras’ apprentice. For all I know, this is some sadistic game she is playing. She’s just toying with me…again._

“My Lord, is this really an appropriate time and place for such an inquiry? You’re putting me in a very awkward position” Finally, he started to regain some measure of decorum….only to have her snatch it away again with ease.

“Aren’t your quarters an appropriate place?” Once again, the distinct image of a mouse being cornered by a hungry cat sprang into his mind. Damn, but Baras had trained her well. She had managed to manipulate him into that with ease. He was at once both impressed and a bit irritated at himself for failing to see it.

“Ah, well, I grant you that. It’s not the place, perhaps, but rather the time that leaves something to be desired.” Silently, he forced himself to think, _And let there never be the right time. That is a conversation that cannot happen._ “May I continue to brief you on the Balmorran Arms Factory?”

“Of course, but I reserve the right to readdress this issue in the future.” The sensuous tenor faded from her words and her demeanor switched back to a calm professionalism in an instant. Once more, he could not help but be impressed….and more than a little uneasy. _It’s almost like she’s matching my own bearing._

“That is, of course, your prerogative.” Thankful that the matter was settled, he quickly turned back to the monitor, fingers dancing over the keys as he pulled up the schematics for the base. “The Republic command center is deep inside the Arms Factory; the most heavily-protected installation on the planet. In order to reach Commander Rylon, you will have to make your way past all of the factory’s defenses….which are considerable.” _In other words, it’s a suicide mission,_ he had to refrain from adding.

“Give me a run-down of those defenses”, she had slid effortlessly back into being the professional, just doing a job. It was as though the teasing manipulator had been in his imagination.

“Unknown, my Lord”, a slight twinge of guilt gnawed at him and, again, he felt resentment at Baras for not giving him the details of the mission he had needed to gather the proper intel. “But the resistance will certainly have state-of-the-art security and attack droids. Stationed inside are an estimated 1,000 of the Republic’s best-trained soldiers. Specifically, Rylon’s elite squadron is responsible for some of the most precise, improbable resistance victories on Balmorra. They’re legendary.”

She gestured dismissively, as though swatting a pesky insect, “They’re practically dead already.” Once again, he hoped that her confidence would see her through. She had surprised him before, but even with his recalculations based on her previous performances, this mission would prove to be more than a challenge for her to complete.

“The Empire’s cause will be greatly advanced once they’re gone.” As she passed the datapad to him, he imparted the last bit of information he had gleaned while she had been on the holo with Baras, “One final thing: the investigator the Jedi sent has been concentrating her activity around the Arms Factory. I have her under minute-by-minute surveillance. If she becomes a problem, I will contact you on your commlink. And I will be here to salute you when the Balmorran Arms Factory is a smoking husk, my Lord.”

“I look forward to it. Perhaps I can convince you to crack open that bottle of Emera 3653 you’re hiding.” She casually tossed over her shoulder as she sauntered from the room, the Twi’lek in tow.

_Now how did she know about that….?_

 


	3. The Point of Delirium (Balmorra Pt3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My mind is set on overdrive  
> The clock is laughing in my face  
> A crooked spine  
> My senses dulled  
> Passed the point of delirium  
> -"Brain Stew" by Green Day
> 
> The main event! Hyperia, Quinn and Vette take down Commander Rylon and the Balmorran Arms Factory. Plus, a glimpse into Hyperia's past...just a teaser. And everyone is freaking exhausted!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm as tired as my characters feel right now. This was an exhausting chapter that was intended to be the last of Balmorra, but ran far longer than I thought it would. So, next chapter will be wrapping up our time in Balmorra with Quinn joining the crew and lots of behind-the-scenes goodies. Sorry for the abrupt ending, but 12 hours of writing just leeched the last bit of story out of me at the end. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy. Comments, kudos, yada yada and so on.....gimme love! :-)

“You know you are evil, right?”

Hyperia turned to raise a brow inquisitively at her Twi’lek servant. The blue-skinned girl had her feet propped upon the console of the automated transport shuttle that was conveying them towards the front lines….and the Balmorran Arms Factory that was their target.

“Oh yeah, right….you’re Sith. Stupid question, I know. But you really had Lieutenant Fancy-Pants squirming in his jackboots, you know. He looked like he thought you were going to eat him alive.”

“But, Vette”, she replied with a teasing tone in her voice, fixing the girl with her golden-hued eyes, “I thought you _wanted_ me to try and seduce the poor man? You know all of that you kept going on about how I needed to ‘loosen up’ and ‘remember that bit in the code about passion’ and so on?”

Vette groaned, sinking her head into one hand, “Ugh, I know. But….please don’t kill me for saying this…you really need some lessons on subtlety when it comes to those things.”

A faintly-offended scowl crossed the Sith’s face, the flesh around the cybernetics along her jaw puckering slightly. “I can be subtle when I want to be. I just happen to like watching him squirm. He tries to keep his emotions so tightly reined, you’d think he was a Jedi.” The last word spat with no small amount of venom.

“So you just like chipping away at him to see what he’s hiding underneath?” For once, the Twi’lek’s tone grew serious, “You ever think you might not like what you find if you do?”

“What brought this on?” Hyperia was genuinely curious now, and a faint bit irritated. Vette usually wasn’t prone to delving too deeply into her methods or motivations…probably for fear of retribution. “You almost sound like you pity the man.”

The Twi’lek shook her head, lekku swaying, as she turned her gaze out of the front portal. “Ugh…forget I mentioned it. I think we’re here.”

Indeed, the transport shuttle touched down upon the landing pad mere klicks from the Arms Factory. Even through the durasteel hull, Hyperia could hear the sounds of battle raging nearby. Steeling herself for the strenuous fight to come, she strode from the small craft. “Let’s get this over with….”

\--------------------------------

Hours passed and Malavai Quinn rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand. The monitor screens were beginning to blur into one, it seemed. He had been simultaneously keeping track of both the investigator and Baras’ apprentice as best he could with the limited surveillance within the factory. He tried not to keep his hopes up too far in regards to the success of the mission. One Sith apprentice and her Twi’lek servant against all of _that_? The odds against their survival were astronomical, no matter how talented she was. Alarms had sounded through the complex, but had still not been silenced, so he held out faint hope that they were still alive. He had given up drinking anymore stimcaf for now. The crash he would endure after all of this was over would already have him wanting to sleep for days. He could only hope Baras would allow that luxury.

Even as he resigned himself to another few hours of intense surveillance, a red light began pulsing on one of the monitors. It was an audio-only link, but part of the tracking network he’d established on the Jedi investigator. Pushing a button on the console, he activated the link and listened in.

> “Sith, I know why you’re here. Be aware that these are the finest troops I have commanded in all my decades of duty”, the first voice belonged to an older male and sounded tinny, as though through a commlink. _Commander Rylon, no doubt._
> 
> The next voice was the familiar husky tones of Baras’ apprentice, “Then I shall take great pride in slaughtering them.”
> 
> Once more Commander Rylon spoke, this time apparently to one of his men, “Captain, engage at will and hold the line. I’m coming with reinforcements. Rylon out.”
> 
> A third voice entered the conversation with a sinister growl, “Sith, you’re about to find out what we’re made of.”
> 
> A throaty chuckle and the sound of igniting lightsabers accompanied her reply, “Bones that break and blood that spills.”
> 
> “You don’t intimidate us, Sith. We’ve killed your kind before. Men, attack!” The next few moments dissolved into a cacophony of blaster fire and the familiar energy flow of lightsaber battle. Quinn found himself literally on the edge of his seat, frustrated that there was no video feed to know how the battle was turning.
> 
> Then for what seemed like an eternal stretch of time, all went silent, only to be broken by the weary voice of the captain, “The Commander…he should have been here by now.”
> 
> Quinn could practically feel the smugness roiling out of the apprentice’s lips, “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”
> 
> “At least he’s safe. That’s all that matters…..”, the captain’s voice abruptly trailed off for a moment before giving out a panicked cry, “Commander, no! Run, save yourself!”
> 
> Commander Rylon’s voice interjected, this time without the hollow quality of the earlier comm, “Enough. Just put him out of his misery, Sith.”
> 
> “I suppose he’s suffered enough”, the unmistakable hiss of a lightsaber sliding through flesh was briefly drowned out by the captain’s brief cry of pain.
> 
> “It’s unfortunate they were on the wrong side. They were excellent soldiers and exceptional men”, regret lay heavy in the Commander’s voice.
> 
> “Why didn’t you convert them to our cause?”
> 
> “I followed Baras’ orders to the letter. Recruitment was never my purpose here.”

Quinn felt a rising apprehension at this turn in conversation. Rylon was one of Baras’ agents…the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Baras was trying to cover his tracks from this Jedi investigator by instigating a scorched earth initiative against Rylon and everything he had accomplished for him. And the silently flashing red light meant that she had been listening in. A surge of panic clenched his gut as he realized the implications. First, he was not supposed to be privy to this information. But, more importantly, the Jedi was also gleaning all the information that Baras was obviously trying to hide.

His fingers frantically played over the console, sending commands and shutting down comm relays across the planet in a desperate attempt to prevent the agent from accomplishing her goal. Even as the sound of blaster fire and lightsaber battle filtered through the speakers, he sent word out to his people to intercept and divert the agent away from the Resistance-owned spaceport and towards Sobrik. There was no time to worry about the fate of Baras’ apprentice. If the investigator managed to get this information off-planet, the whole operation would have been a waste.

Suddenly, he realized that the audio feed had gone silent. _By the Emperor, let her have succeeded._ He quickly sent a signal to her comm and breathed a sigh of relief when her holo flickered to life above the console. She looked exhausted, which made him feel even guiltier at having to impart this news upon her.

“My Lord, we have a problem. I heard your conversation with Rylon....”, he trailed off for a moment, feeling her anger even through the commlink.

“What? How?” Like himself, she was obviously concerned that Baras would not look kindly upon his accidental acquisition of information that they had attempted to keep secret from him.

“Apparently the Jedi investigator bugged Rylon’s quarters. And since I have been surveilling her this entire time, while she listened in on your conversation, I heard it as well. She knows everything, my Lord.” He could not keep a trace of despair out of his voice. If they failed to keep her from getting the information off-planet, all of their lives were forfeit. And, knowing Baras, it would not be a swift or painless death.

“Where is she now?” He could feel the anger and fear threaded through her voice. She also had to know what the consequences for failure would be.

“She was heading to her ship, but I have my men cutting her off from the Republic landing bay. I am systematically blocking her avenues of transmission and escape. Herding that Republic scum to her only hope: our spaceport in Sobrik.” _And Emperor help us if I don’t succeed._

“I will head there immediately’, the confidence in her voice, though laced with weariness as it was, gave him a slight bit of hope that this would not end in disaster. He hoped that the next bit of news that had just filtered across one monitor would not crush it completely.

“There’s one more thing. My men who have engaged her report that she is….wielding a lightsaber. It seems that this investigator is a Jedi Knight.”

Oddly, this latest bit of news seemed to reinvigorate her, “Good, I look forward to facing her even more now.”

“I will gather my remaining men and meet you at the spaceport. We will crush this Jedi.” Somehow her enthusiasm was like a shot of caf to his system. Despair was replaced by a fierce determination. He was looking forward to witnessing the destruction of the investigator who had caused them so much trouble.

Cutting the communication, he holstered his pistol and sent a signal to his men to meet him at the spaceport. They had a Jedi to hunt….

\------------------------

Vette sagged against a metal container and sighed as Hyperia switched off the holo. “Great, so we’re _still_ not done yet? Could anything else go wrong?” The battle with Rylon, not to mention the hundreds of troops they had to wade through just to get to him, had exhausted the Twi’lek to the point where she could have just laid down on the deckplates right then and there, and slept for a day straight. She knew that the Sith had to be feeling the strain as well…and even looked pretty worn-out as well, until Quinn had mentioned that the investigator was a Jedi. Now she looked as energized as she had ever been. _Ugh, if only I could use the Force to get a second wind. Here we go again…._

“Come on, Vette, let’s get this over with once and for all”, Hyperia turned and stepped around Rylon’s inert body as she strode for the exit, the Twi’lek groaned and staggered along wearily in her wake.

Vette was on her absolute last reserves of energy as they entered the Sobrik spaceport, while Hyperia nearly broke into a run towards the landing bay they had been directed towards. The Sith didn’t even seem to notice that she was trailing behind, her focus solely on her impending encounter with the Jedi.

As Hyperia entered the bay, she saw a slight figure, dressed in yellow robes surrounded by a half-dozen Imperial troops. Apparently, the Jedi sensed her presence and dismissed the Imperials with a wave of her hand. _They are ever so reliant on their little mind tricks,_ Hyperia thought with disgust.

Her disdain and anticipation swelled even more as the woman turned to face her. _Well, well….Mashallon, this is just too good to be true._

“You’re too late, Sith. I’ve already transmitted the conversation between you and Commander Rylon to the Jedi Council….” Her voice trailed off abruptly as she lifted her gaze to stare incredulously at the Sith before her. “Ysara? It can’t be! You….died at Coruscant.”

Hyperia chuckled, an ominous, throaty sound, “My dear Mashallon. Had I known that is what it took to finally shake that infernal calm of yours, I would have ‘died’ before then. And I see that your fashion sense hasn’t improved over the years. I can’t believe the Jedi allow such a hideous color.”

The implacable serenity that had always infuriated Hyperia fell once more into place over the Jedi’s dusky features, “I will not let you shake me. My mission has succeeded. Noman Karr has his proof. Now Master Karr and his padawan will track down and expose every Sith agent in the galaxy.”

A crooked smile tugged at Hyperia’s lips, “I’ll let you enjoy your delusions, Mashallon. While you are still able to.” _Please let them be just delusions. Quinn had better have come through._

“Enjoyment was never part of the equation. I have purity of purpose. I seek neither thrills nor satisfaction. Unlike you, I am calm.” Despite the Jedi’s code of non-emotion, Hyperia could feel the smug superiority that enveloped the woman as completely as the ugly robes she donned. _They were all such hypocrites. And she always was one of the worst._

“How incredibly boring. But you always were the queen of dull.” How she had longed for the day when she could finally get under this insufferably arrogant woman’s skin. This would be more fun than teasing the Lieutenant.

“Living an enlightened life is anything but boring. The Dark Side shall fail you, Ysara. Save yourself, surrender and come back to us, and the Jedi Council will give you every opportunity to discover redemption.” The Jedi tentatively stretched out her hand, her blue eyes placidly staring into Hyperia’s golden ones.

Hyperia broke into harsh laughter, “You truly are a fool, Mashallon, if you think that I would ever want to return to your band of tiresome hypocrites. You bask in your smug superiority and call it ‘enlightenment’, while I have true freedom. Freedom to express my emotions, freedom to indulge in my passions, freedom to kill fools like you without endless ruminating on the ‘will of the Force’. You are the one who needs saving. And I will gladly grant you freedom…in death!”

Igniting her lightsabers, Hyperia lunged for the Jedi, who responded in kind. Flashes of crimson and green carved paths through the air as they wove a deadly dance through the landing bay. Mashallon’s calm only served to fuel Hyperia’s desire to see her dead. Even though the battle was intense, it ended quickly, with the Sith deftly disarming the older Jedi and driving her to her knees.

\---------------------

Quinn strode into the hanger with his contingent of guards just in time to see the Jedi fall. She was not dead, but obviously beaten.

“Your victory means nothing, the damage has been done. The proof has been transmitted. So deal the death blow, Ysara, I am at peace, knowing the greater good has been served.” Baras’ apprentice…no, he just realized that she had a name now….Ysara prepared to strike the woman down, but this was one case in which he felt it was safe to interrupt her.

“I hate to burst your bubble, Jedi”, smugness rolled off of his tongue with laced with the immense satisfaction he was feeling, “No, actually, that’s a lie….I’m reveling in it.” And, he was. Disaster had been averted, their mission was a success, and despite the long hours, he was feeling incredibly energized by their victory. Seeing this insufferably difficult woman who had caused them so much trouble, beaten gave him an immense pleasure he had not felt in ages. “I intercepted your transmission. The Jedi know nothing.”

He felt Ysara’s gaze dart to him, a smile growing upon her lips, “Quinn….I could kiss you.”

For once, he felt no discomfiture at her playful flirting. He was basking in their victory. “Only doing my job, my Lord. I had her monitored and screened every step of the way. There was never any risk at all.” He could only wish that it had actually been as effortless as he made it sound. The past half hour had been an unending string of frantic activity in order to make this happen. But, somehow it gave him satisfaction to let her think that he had done it all without breaking a sweat.

“Gloat all you like, it means nothing. I remain at peace. And Nomen Karr and his padawan will still defeat you.” Quinn glanced down at the fallen Jedi with disgust. She was still spouting platitudes even as she was at the brink of death. He noticed that Ysara wore a similar expression, though her disdain seemed to run much deeper and more personal. _Who was this Jedi to her? They obviously have some sort of history._

“They will fall, just as you have fallen, Mashallon. And I will savor their destruction almost as much as yours.”

Her lightsaber snapped to humming life in her hand as the Jedi bowed her head and began softly reciting, “There is no death, only the Force”, before collapsing as Ysara cut her down with one swift motion.

Quinn stood quietly studying the Jedi woman’s cooling corpse, lost in thought for a moment before commenting, “How bizarre. She just closed her eyes and accepted death.” He had a hundred questions on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to ask the woman he now knew to be Ysara, but didn’t know where to begin asking them.

She merely shrugged, lips curling in distaste as she idly nudged the fallen Jedi’s body with the tip of her boot, “Sheer idiocy.”

 Realizing that he would probably get nothing out of her at the moment, Quinn merely shrugged and mentally shelved the questions for later, “Lord Baras will be anxious to learn what became of this. When you’re ready, I’ll contact him from my office.”

She nodded as she stepped out of the way of the Imperial soldiers who were dragging the Jedi’s body away to dispose of it. _Good riddance._ “I will join you there soon.”

 “Excellent, my Lord. I will prepare and await you there.” He sketched a brief bow to her before striding from the dock.

\----------------------------------------------

“So…Ysara? I thought your name was Hyperia. Or is that your Sith name? That Jedi knew you…said you were one of them?” Even as exhausted as they both were, Vette had somehow still found enough energy to bombard her with questions on their way back to Quinn’s office. She had been practically twitching with curiosity since their encounter with the Jedi Knight, Mashallon.

“Do I really have to explain all this now, Vette?”, she asked wearily.

“Well, no…you’re a Sith, so I guess you don’t _have_ to explain anything. Especially not to someone like me.” The Twi’lek paused for a moment before continuing in a breathless rush, “But you have to admit that whole thing with the Jedi…well, you have to know that I’m dying to know more.”

“Fine. Yes, my name is Ysara. Yes, my Sith name is Hyperia. And, for now, that’s all you’re getting. Maybe later…after we’ve gotten some sleep….I might feel like talking about the rest. For now, just drop it already.” Hyperia fought to keep the exhaustion from her voice. _Just report back to Baras one last time, then sleep for a week….I hope._

As they entered Quinn’s office and approached where he was quietly conversing with Baras via holo, Hyperia couldn’t help but notice that they all bore the signs of varying degrees of intense exhaustion. Quinn’s usual upright bearing had a barely-discernable slouch to it and there were dark circles rimming his eyes. Vette couldn’t stop yawning and looked ready to fall over at any second. Hyperia knew she probably didn’t look any better. They were all in desperate need of rest, but were concealing it for the sake of their mutual master.

“It’s not my place, Lord Baras. I will leave that for your apprentice to convey”, the Lieutenant was addressing the stout Sith Lord’s holo image as they entered. _So much for just being able to let Quinn do the briefing while I nod…without trying to nod off,_ Hyperia inwardly griped.

The image of Baras caught her gaze as she approached, “Then step aside, Lieutenant, my apprentice has arrived.” In contrast to their shared weariness over the past few days’ events, Baras seemed quite energized…even cheerful. “Nice of you to join us. Quinn refuses to update me, insisting that the honor should be yours. I assume the Jedi investigator has been stopped?”

Pushing aside a brief flash of irritation that Quinn opted to leave the entire debriefing to her, she chose to give the Lieutenant the credit he was due, “Quinn killed her transmission….and I killed her.”

“Your carelessness created a crisis, but since you quelled it, we can move on.” Even through her exhaustion, Hyperia felt a wave of irritation. _Carelessness? How were we to know that the Jedi had the place bugged? I can’t believe he’s blaming us for that!_ “I had hoped to avoid confronting the Jedi, but our hand was forced. What matters most is that Rylon can no longer be exposed." _Which means we could have just killed the Jedi and been done with it from the start and saved ourselves all this time and trouble,_ she thought irritably.

“And how would you assess Lieutenant Quinn’s contribution?” She could feel Quinn’s gaze upon her and almost feel an inkling of worry seeping from behind his mental wall. She had absolutely no reason to complain…quite the contrary….but he knew as well as she did, that his very life could be hanging on how she answered the question. A more sadistic Sith could easily lie and condemn him to whatever horrific fate Baras might deem fitting.

“He is an exceptional officer. I couldn’t have done it without him.” She could not help but toss Quinn a faint, weary smile, feeling his obvious relief as he inclined his head in a respectful bow of thanks.

Baras seemed both surprised and delighted by her assessment, “High praise, indeed.” Turning to the Lieutenant, he continued, “Quinn, I believe you have sufficiently repaid your debt to me. I am putting you up for a captaincy and transmitting an executive order, allowing you to station wherever you choose. You are dismissed.”

Surprise and elation surged within him, but didn’t quite reach his tired, yet stoic features, she noticed. “Thank you, Lord Baras. If my actions benefit the Empire, they benefit me. I would done the same, regardless of our past.”

He then turned to her and she could feel a slight twinge of melancholy as he spoke, “My Lord, before I depart, it’s been an extreme honor to serve you. You are the epitome of everything the Empire stands for.”

Since this was probably going to be the last she ever saw of him, she couldn’t resist firing one last-ditch salvo against that armor of his, “I’m going to miss your rugged good looks, Quinn.”

Disappointingly, he didn’t even flinch, but she was taken by surprise at the subtle promise hinted in his reply, “Maybe our paths will cross once more, my Lord.” He held her gaze for a moment longer, before snapping to attention and striding from the room.

She couldn’t help but watch him leave, even as Baras’ basso voice intoned from the holo thoughtfully, “He will have his hands full. There are powerful Imperials dedicated to keeping him down. But if he can overcome them and rise to the station he deserves, there is great hope for our Imperial allies.”

Hyperia couldn’t help but think how cruel it was for Baras to pique her curiosity about Quinn even more now that he was out of the picture. _Who were these Imperials working against him…and why? He apparently angered someone to get stuck here. And why would Baras take him under his wing? Is that the debt he was talking about?_

“If given the opportunity, he will excel.” If she had hoped to draw more information out of her master, she was disappointed, for he brusquely dismissed the subject altogether.

“Either way, it’s not worth worrying about. Quinn’s affairs are a speck compared to what we face. Your presence on Balmorra is no longer needed. You may remain only long enough to get some rest from your ordeal, then return to your ship and make ready to leave. I will contact you there.”

“Yes, my Lord”, she replied wearily even as the holo went dark.

“Sleep for three days?”, Vette piped up with hopeful weariness.

“I doubt he’ll give us that long, but yes. Sleep”, Hyperia couldn’t help but eye Quinn’s bunk in the next room. It was tempting to just fall over in the nearest bed, no matter who it belonged to...or who might be in it. She was honestly too exhausted to even let the thought of anything besides sleep enter her mind. With a weary sigh, she led the way out into the Balmorran night and towards their ship.

 


	4. Don't Look Back (Balmorra Pt4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't look back  
> A new day is breakin'  
> It's been too long since I felt this way  
> I don't mind where I get taken  
> The road is callin'  
> Today is the day  
> "Don't Look Back" by Boston
> 
> Quinn finally joins the crew, and we're ready to finally leave Balmorra!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the last chapter of Balmorra! Just whipped out a short one to wrap things up. Decided to make the last section a merged POV after the bouncing back and forth of the previous two. Hope it wasn't too confusing! Looking forward to branching out more from the basic storyline and delving more into my own head-canon. Just rehashing cutscenes...even with all the background insights and such...can get boring.
> 
> The broken caf machine scene was actually inspired by my own dilemma this morning when our Keurig gave up the ghost right before I started writing. ;-)

Hyperia stepped out of the refresher on board her ship, ruffling her short auburn hair with a towel. Twelve hours of sleep and a long shower had done wonders to erase the exhaustion from the past 48 hours of constant battle. Vette was still sleeping, but the Sith was content to let her sleep awhile longer, since the last thing Hyperia wanted was to have her flying the ship without proper rest.

The whirring of servos and clink of metal could be heard outside her door as she began getting dressed, followed by a timorous inquiry, “Mighty Lord?” Hyperia opened to door to find the polished mechanical form of the ship’s droid, 2V-R8, standing outside with a mug in his hand. Had he been an organic, she probably would have been able to detect waves of anxiety and fearful deference emanating from him. As it was, she was thankful she couldn’t. Living around him would have been intolerable.

Her eyes lighted upon the mug and she deftly pulled it from his hand, her initial enthusiasm quelled by the fact that the cup was barely half full. Too-Vee cowered visibly, “Please don’t deactivate me, great Lord. But the caf machine is malfunctioning! I will do my utmost to fix it right away. I only thought that half a cup was better than none at all…..”, his tinny voice trailed off pitifully.

She sniffed at the caf warily, then downed it in one swift motion. It was a bit stronger than usual, but at least he had remembered to sweeten it. Too-Vee could be such a pitiful droid at times with all of his bowing and scraping, but at least he was efficient and did his utmost to please her…even if, at times, he went a bit overboard.

“Also, I noticed that there is someone outside the ship.”

Hyperia eyed the droid for a moment with mild confusion. “Of course there is. We’re in the landing bay. There are technicians and….”

“No, my Lord. So sorry for interrupting. But this is an Imperial officer. And he looks like he’s waiting for something.” Hyperia mulled over this for a moment, then decided it was probably the dock master, eager to find out when they were departing. _But he could have just contacted me through the comm for that. Maybe there’s a problem._

“Very well, I will see who this is and what he wants. Start preparing the ship for departure as soon as Vette is awake. Give her another….”

“What? I’m awake!”, the Twi’lek’s cheerful voice chirped from behind her. Hyperia turned to see Vette standing in the doorway of the crew bunks, looking….well, not totally refreshed, but much more so than 12 hours ago.

“I thought you would sleep the entire day away.”

“Nah…besides…it’s hard to sleep when you have a droid banging around on the other side of the wall”, she slanted her brown eyes towards Too-Vee.

“My utmost apologies, Lady Vette! I forgot that your bunk shared the wall with the caf machine!” The droid was actually visibly cowering before them both now.

“No worries! Let’s go see who’s at our door! Maybe they want to sell us something”, Vette hitched a thumb to the door as Hyperia finished pulling her boots on, then strode towards the landing ramp.

\--------

**Two hours prior...**

Lieutenant….no, Captain-Select….Malavai Quinn sat silently before the monitor in his office, mulling over the data that flashed across the screen. He had managed a few hours of sleep, but the newfound freedom granted to him by Baras made him restless. After being exiled on Balmorra for the past decade, now the entire galaxy was open to him. He could have returned to Dromund Kaas or requested to be stationed on any number of starships in the Imperial Fleet. The possibilities seemed endless, but he knew better than to believe that. Moff Broysc and his loyal officers were still out there and the last thing Quinn wanted was to be put into a position of having to deal with them again. It would only end with him right back to where he had started….and he could not count on Baras to save him a second time. Even with that in mind, there were almost too many choices to be had.

Abruptly, the holocomm chirped beside him, stirring him from his thoughts. The readout on the console identified the caller as Baras. _He’s probably wondering if I’ve decided where I’m going next yet._ Quinn sighed and raked a hand through his dark hair before activating the holo. “Lord Baras”, he inclined his head respectfully to the Sith as his form flickered to life on the holo.

“Captain Quinn. I assume you re well-rested after the past days’ events and ready to embark on your next assignment?” The Sith Lord’s voice was unusually jovial, with a hint of actual concern.

“My Lord, I apologize. I have not yet zeroed in on a specific assignment as of yet. Perhaps in a few…”

Baras cut him off with a sharp gesture, “No need. I have one for you already. Do not worry, I believe you will be most pleased with it.”

Quinn could not help but frown as he wondered what Baras was up to. Part of his reward for his service was that he could post wherever _he_ wanted, not where Baras decided. Perhaps his debt had not been as fully paid as the Sith Lord had wanted to lead him to believe? And what did…. _Oh no._ It suddenly dawned upon him what Baras was offering. _He’s not actually going to…._

“You will post upon my apprentice’s ship. She is in need of a proficient pilot and I’m sure she will find use for your other talents as well.”

Once again, he felt the ground crumbling beneath his feet. It was like both punishment and reward in one. To serve an up-and-coming Sith who was as powerful and talented as she was would normally be a great honor. He would share in her successes and help her shape and defend the Empire in ways he never could before while he was trapped here on Balmorra. But, he couldn’t help but remember how off-balance she always seemed to make him feel. Being stationed on her ship, being in close proximity to her every day, would tax his military bearing and professionalism to their very limits.

“My Lord, it would be an honor. But, would she actually accept my transfer?” Even as he asked it, he already knew the answer to that question. The way she acted around him…he gathered that she was actually interested in him, or she was just toying with him. Either way, he did not think it a wrongful assumption that she would not turn down his service.

“I think that is a question you need not even ask yourself,” there was a hint of irritation in the Sith Lord’s voice before he continued, “There are conditions to this assignment, however. First, when you offer your service, you will do so as if it is out of your own volition. To her, this is an assignment you wanted and chose for yourself. Am I clear?”

 Quinn nodded, but felt a knot forming in his gut. He had a bad feeling about where this could be leading. “Second…and most importantly, you will use this opportunity to have her under constant surveillance. I want regular reports on her activities, her loyalties, and her attitude. You will be my eyes and ears on her when and where I am not able. Do you understand?”

Once again, he dipped his head in acquiescence, the knot growing tighter. It began to feel like a noose around his neck. _He does not trust her. But what Sith ever trusts another? Still, this feels wrong._ But the analytical part of his mind thought, _At least this will aid me in keeping a professional distance from her. I cannot fulfill Lord Baras’ wishes effectively if she tries to get too personal._ “Yes, my Lord. I understand.”

“Good. Gather what you will need and go to her ship immediately. She will be leaving soon.” As Quinn bowed to Baras’ holo, the Sith Lord spoke once more, “Rest assured, you will be rewarded for your service appropriately.”

“Service to the Empire is its own reward, my Lord”. How many times had he said that over the many years of his service? It was a mantra to justify all of the wrongs inflicted upon him, everything he had to endure because he chose to put the good of the Empire over his own personal ambitions. He could only hope that he could have both now…and not sacrifice his own ethics in the process.

The holo flickered out and, with a weary sigh, he began packing.

\----------------

As Hyperia descended the ramp, she immediately recognized the man quietly studying the ship’s engines. “Quinn….”

He turned at the sound of her voice, having momentarily being caught up in the familiar, yet long-denied, atmosphere of a launch hanger in pre-flight. The sharp scent of deuterium fuel, hydraulic fluids, and welding torches mingled, recalling decade-old memories of his piloting days. He had to admit that he was excited at the prospect of being in the pilot’s seat again….especially of a ship like the Fury-class Interceptor. It was a sleek, deadly predator…appropriate for its sole use by the Sith.

Shaking himself from his reverie, he offered her a respectful bow”, “My Lord, I hope that you do not find my presence obtrusive. I beg an audience.”

She eyed him speculatively for a moment, wondering at his reasons for being here, yet pleasantly surprised by his appearance, “I will always welcome you, Quinn. What is on your mind?”

He swallowed back a faint sense of apprehension. _Baras was right. I don’t think she will even consider turning me down._ A very small part of him almost hoped that she would. This assignment would be a dream come true, if it were not for the fact that he was expected to act as a spy for Lord Baras. Taking a deep breath, he began the speech had prepared for this.

“I am pleased to know that, my Lord. As you know, Lord Baras enabled my reassignment anywhere I choose. It is an evolution I have longed for, and assumed would never come. Aiding your mission on this planet has reawakened the ambition I began my career with: to make the most profound impact possible for the Empire.” It had been an easy thing to come up with, for it was all completely true. Leaving Baras’ influence out of it was a simple effort. Serving on her ship was an assignment he would have welcomed on his own….it was the infiltration aspect of it that soured the idea.

Studying him as he spoke, she could feel the faintest hint of uneasiness seeping from beneath his ever-present emotional shields. _Curious….what is he leading to with this? Is he looking for my aid in some way?_ “We share the same desire in that, Captain. Are you seeking my assistance with something?”

 _Well, here we go…._ ”I sensed that as well, my Lord. I cannot think of a more glorious and honorable way to make a difference in the galaxy than to serve you.” He sank to one knee before her. Initially, he had though that the gesture might be a bit over-the-top, but decided to take the chance anyway. Perhaps as a way to gauge _her_ professionalism. “I am here to pledge myself to you. I am ready and willing to serve in any capacity you see fit.”

She could not help but to stare wide-eyed at his kneeling form. Now _this_ was not at all what she had expected. Had she entertained the thought of having him join her crew? Of course, she would have been a fool not to. He was obviously quite skilled at his job….and that he was quite easy on the eyes was an added bonus. Having infinite time to chip away at his ever-present military bearing was an even more interesting bonus. There was no way she could refuse him, of course. And, in a small corner of her mind, that thought niggled at her relentlessly. _This seems almost too good to be true. Did Baras put him up to this?_ While his parting words to her had hinted at a possible reunion, he had not seemed to be one to come chasing at her heels without being explicitly invited.

A soft cough from Vette behind her interrupted her train of thought, as the Twi’lek whispered in her ear, “’Whatever capacity you see fit?’ Ooo…now that has possibilities.”

“Not now, Vette!”, she hissed, even though she felt a slight flush creep up her neck. She would be fooling herself if she tried to admit that she hadn’t thought of that herself. But she hoped for a moment that he had not overheard that…or maybe she hoped that he had.

Quinn swallowed hard as the Twi’lek girl’s whisper reached his ears. She had not been attempting to hide it from him, that much was obvious. At least her mistress had not opted to entertain the discussion any further. He had no desire to serve her only to be seen as some sort of…Sith plaything, and decided to make sure he outlined his talents. It might have seemed like bragging, but he saw it as a survival mechanism.

“My Lord, if given the chance, I know I will prove myself to you. I'm a top-notch pilot, military strategist and a deadly shot. I can fly this ship, plan your battles, assess your enemies and kill them. You won't find a more tireless and loyal subject. I offer my military prowess and dedicate every ounce of my strength to your cause.”

 _By the Emperor, it’s like it’s my birthday and Life Day all wrapped into one. Even if Baras did put him up to this, he is definitely an asset I cannot refuse._ And, again, that sent up red flags in her mind. _Too perfect, he’s too damn perfect….and Baras would know that. Ugh, well, when have I ever acted with caution?_ “I would be pleased to have you, Captain.”

He tried to sense if there was an underlying entendre to her statement, but her voice was completely neutral, with no hint of the teasing she had subjected him to before. _Perhaps, as a member of her crew, there will be more structure and professionalism to our association._ He rose to his feet and shouldered the small pack at his feet, before affording her another small bow, _“_ The pleasure will be mine. Thank you, my Lord. I will submit my reassignment papers as we depart.”

She smiled and gestured him towards the ramp, “Come on, then. I’ll give you the tour and you can get settled in.”

 


	5. Caf and Memories (Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm looking for an interruption,  
> do you believe?  
> You looking to dig my dreams  
> Be prepared for anything  
> You come into my little scene  
> Hooray hooray hip hip hooray  
> There's one thing I can guarantee:  
> You won't have to dig, dig too deep  
> Said leave me to lay, but touch me deep,  
> I don't sleep, I dream  
> I'll settle for a cup of coffee, but you know what I really need  
> -"I Don't Sleep, I Dream" by R.E.M.
> 
> Quinn makes himself at home aboard the Fury, and Hyperia makes traditional Kaasian caf, to everyone's surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little fluff piece, inspired by my own coffee adventures of the day. For anyone who picked it out, yes, Kaasian caf is based on Italian coffee made in a Moka Pot. :)  
> Also, you will notice in this and future chapters, that I am not sticking with the ship layout as it is in the game. It's missing way too many rooms, in my opinion. I mean, where's the refresher? And Quinn does mention *his* quarters multiple times, so he has to be bunking somewhere besides the shared crew bunks. And there's no galley!

“Master! You have returned! And the Captain who was lurking outside the ship! Is he joining us, mighty Lord?” The ship’s droid, 2V-R8, piped up enthusiastically as the trio boarded the Fury.

Hyperia released an amused chuckle, “Yes, Too-Vee, he will be part of the crew. Please add him to your database of authorized personnel.”

“Done, Master! Do you wish for me to run my introductory program? Give him a tour? Take his luggage?” The droid gestured to the simple, Imperial-issue pack Quinn had slung over one shoulder.

“No, Too-Vee, your priority is repairing the caf machine, remember?”, a slight hint of impatience crept into her tone as she fixed the droid with a mock-glare. She found that Too-Vee found his greatest motivation from the threat of deactivation.

“Of course, great Lord! My utmost apologies for neglecting my duties! I hope that you can forgive me!” The droid swept into a deep bow as he began backing from the room.

“Fix the caf machine and maybe I won’t start removing limbs!” She called after his retreating form, a faint reply heard from the door to the galley, “You are too kind, my Master!”

Turning to Quinn with a lopsided smile, she hitched a thumb towards the galley, “Anyway, that was 2V-R8. He’s pretty much the droid-of-all-trades around here. If he gets too annoying, just threaten to report to me. He’s efficient and helpful…but sometimes too much so.” Gesturing to the pack on his shoulder, she continues, “I’ll show you to your quarters so you can stow your things.”

Unslinging the pack from his shoulder, he began rummaging through it for a moment, “Actually, I have something to put in the galley first.” With a triumphant flourish, he pulled a small bottle of wine from the pack, turning the label so she could see it.

“The Emera 3653! You remembered!” She had been only half-joking when she had requested that he save it to open after their assault on the Balmorran Arms Factory. However, between their utter exhaustion and Baras’ orders, there had never been the right time for her to see if he would make good on the request. Then, with a frown, she pulled the bottle from his unresisting hands, “This is too valuable to put in the galley where just anyone can get to it at any time.”

Vette tossed her a mock-pout as she flopped on the couch, “I hope you weren’t talking about me!”

“Come on, you can keep it in your quarters”. With a gesture, she beckoned him towards a room near the end of the hallway. He re-shouldered the pack and followed her into a small, utilitarian room, reminiscent of the usual naval layout, but with an obvious Sith aesthetic. A crimson glow infused the room from beneath black metal grating, illuminating a single bed, storage locker, desk and wall shelving.

“I know it’s a bit smaller than what you had on Balmorra, but I hope that it will suffice.” She said as she carefully placed the bottle of wine upon one of the shelves.

Quinn had to admit he was a little surprised at her deference, “It is more than sufficient, my Lord. Thank you.” He set the pack on the narrow bed as she turned towards the door. “Ready for the rest of the tour, Captain?”

He had to admit that he was still not completely accustomed to his new rank. It sounded strange still. “Lead the way, my Lord.”

They strolled through the ship as she pointed out each room, finishing with the bridge. Quinn stepped to the pilot’s chair, hands clasping the back of it as his eyes swept over the controls, then gazed out of the forward port. Mechanics and crew scurried around the ship, readying it for launch. He had not realized how much he had missed being in the cockpit of a ship until now. Ten years….ten long years…sitting behind a desk, exiled to a planet constantly under siege, being turned down for every reassignment and promotion. It had been an agonizing eternity. Yet, right now, he could remember the feel of the controls beneath his hands, the surge of engine power thrumming around him, the sense of freedom among the stars. It was utterly intoxicating to know that he was finally back where he truly belonged.

Hyperia stepped back to let him have his moment. She could feel the emotions swirling around him….satisfaction, pride, and joy…with a faint flash of bitterness, felt only for a brief instant. “I shall leave you to acquaint yourself with the controls, Captain.” She spoke softly, not wanting to interrupt his reverie.

He turned and nodded deferentially to her, his expression placid, but gratitude shining brightly in his eyes, “Thank you, my Lord. With your permission, I shall work on preparing it for launch.”

“Permission granted, Captain. Once I have contacted Lord Baras, I will give you the coordinates for our next destination.” She started out the door as he settled into the pilot’s chair, then paused, “Welcome aboard, Quinn.”

\------------------------------

“Yes!”, Vette cried out triumphantly as Baras’ holo image faded, “We’re going to Nar Shaddaa!”

Hyperia glanced over her shoulder where the Twi’lek had been lounging in the doorway to the galley, “We’re not going there for a vacation, Vette”, she commented irritably. She could hear the metallic clanking sounds of Too-Vee behind her, which implied that the caf machine was still being repaired by the droid.

“I know, but since Captain Stuffy-Pants is part of the crew now, can’t you take him with you on all of your adventures in death and destruction? At least while we’re there? Please? I did win the bet, after all…and you promised….”

A soft cough sounded from Quinn standing in the doorway to the bridge, “Did I hear correctly that our next destination is Nar Shaddaa, my Lord?” He gave no indication of whether or not he had overheard Vette’s unflattering nickname, aside from a brief narrowing of his eyes in her direction.

The Sith turned to him and nodded, “That is correct. Lord Baras has another spy we need to eliminate there. And, Emperor willing, it will not be as convoluted a task as taking out Rylon was.”

“Hopefully Too-Vee will have the caf machine fixed by then!”, Vette called over her shoulder into the galley. The droid’s voice echoed back, “I am doing my utmost to ensure it is done, Mistress Vette!”

Hyperia chuckled, shaking her head at the droid, “Speaking of which…would anyone like some caf?”

“Ummm…..the machine’s still broken, how are you going to do that?”, Vette asked confusedly. Indeed, Quinn was curious as well, but duty called, so he returned to the bridge to begin departure.

With a mischievous sparkle in her golden eyes, Hyperia cryptically whispered, “I have my ways”, before turning and following Quinn onto the bridge.

He had just settled back into the pilot’s chair and signaled their departure to Docking Control when she walked in and knelt down beside a blank panel beneath the console. Pulling a portable hydrospanner from a magnalock beneath the co-pilot’s seat, she proceeded to remove the bolts holding the panel closed. Quinn tried not to let it distract him, his eyes darting between what she was doing and the readouts on the screen before him. Just as the ship began its ascent out of the spaceport, she pulled a small octagonal pot and an unmarked bag from the compartment hidden behind the panel. The unmistakable aroma of high-quality caf wafted from the bag.

She rose to her feet with a crooked grin, holding the pot and bag cradled in her arms, “Would you like some Kaasian caf?”

Quinn glanced up, undisguised surprise writ upon his face, “You know how to make Kaasian caf?!” Then suddenly realizing his breach in decorum, he cleared his throat and schooled his features back to neutrality, “My apologies, my Lord. You do not have to go through the trouble on my account.”

Hyperia felt as though she’d just won a minor victory. _If I had known that this is all it took to crack open his shell, I would’ve offered to make it the first day we met._ But then the wall crashed down again. Even so, she couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’m not doing it _just_ for you, Quinn. Vette and I are both in desperate need since the machine died this morning.”

“In that case, I would be most grateful for a cup, my Lord. Thank you.”

Several minutes later, she returned, carrying two small cups filled with a thick, dark steaming liquid within them, along with the pot and bag of caf. Handing one cup to Quinn, she settled into the co-pilots chair to sip at her own, placing the pot and bag at her feet. “I made the assumption that you wouldn’t mind if I made them in the traditional way.”

He took a sip and closed his eyes in sheer appreciation as the thick, strong, but lightly-sweetened drink rolled over his tongue. “This is….I can’t remember the last time I had traditional Kaasian caf. Let alone, one that was this good.” He could not help but be curious, “Where did you learn to make this? Certainly not the Sith Academy.”

She leaned back in the chair, watching the stars slide by through hyperspace, as she drained the cup. “No. In my early days of training, I was….adopted, I guess you could say….by a Sith who was fairly obsessive about his caf. One of the first things he taught me was how to make a traditional Kaasian caf. According to him, it taught patience, dexterity, and attention to detail. Not to mention, ‘If you can make a cup of good caf, that will carry you farther in life than you might imagine’.”

He tipped back the cup to finish the drink in one swig, as was expected with Kaasian caf, then watched as she knelt back on the floor to replace the accoutrements back into the hidden compartment.

Catching his curious stare, she chuckled, bolting the panel back on, “I have to hide these or else Too-Vee will try to use this caf in the machine. And I managed to barely stop him from cleaning the pot with industrial cleanser the last time I left it out.” She shuddered visibly. Understandably, since one of the primary rules of making Kaasian caf was that you only rinse out the pot….never cleanse it…as to preserve the flavors.

She stood and gathered up their cups, inclining her chin to the viewport, “How much longer to Nar Shaddaa?”

Quinn double-checked the readouts, “Two hours and 14 minutes, my Lord.”

“Good. Make preparations to accompany me to the surface when we get there. I would like to assess your skills in the field.” Her lips twisted into a faintly bemused scowl, “Besides, I owe Vette a vacation, it seems.”

Quinn could not disguise his curiosity, “I overheard her saying something about winning a bet?”

She coughed uncomfortably, the faintest tint of pink flushing her neck, “Yes, nothing you need worry about,” she mumbled as she slipped from the bridge, leaving him to wonder at just what this bet was that had her so flustered.

 


	6. Subtle Thunder (Nar Shaddaa Pt1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taken in by the delicate noise  
> Knocked to the ground by the subtle thunder  
> Shackled and bound by the sound of your voice  
> Wandering around in silent wonder  
> -"The Sweetest Condition" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Hyperia finally comes up with a name for the ship. Memories hurt. But speaking the wrong name can hurt even more....as Quinn discovers. Arrival at Nar Shaddaa!
> 
> Rating increased to T for language.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED on 7/22 because I'm going to redo the actual NS events into a separate chapter, so I deleted a good chunk of the actual NS time and expounded a bit more from their arrival. I made a new character in-game so I could record cutscene footage and get more into the actual events. I really wanted to write more originally, but just couldn't remember anything since it had been too long. I promise the actual NS chapter(s) will be an improvement over what I originally wrote here. :-) ***

Hyperia knelt upon the deckplates of her quarters, the ambient lighting washing her form in a crimson glow. She reached out through the Force, extending her senses through the ship. The near-silent hum of the engines reverberated through the hull, while the subtle jangling of metal against metal from the galley provided a jarring counterpoint. Frowning, she mentally activated the cybernetic implants imbedded along her jaw and over her eye; a hiss escaping her lips as the pain inducers shot neurostimulators through the microfilaments that spider-webbed beneath her skin.

 _Focus on the pain….let it make you strong. Let it fuel your passions._ She could still hear the voice of her first Sith master whispering in her ear as he did the first time he had activated them. It had been a gift upon her departure to Korriban that he transferred control of them to her. _You are now mistress of your pain. Rule it so that it can never rule you._

Flashes of memory tore through the pain….

_Everything collapsing… Sudden agony… Falling …Bleeding …Let the Force envelop ….Crushing ….Voices, then new pain ….Choking, burning ….Everything hurts ….Make it STOP! ….Silence…._

A strangled sob was forced through her lips as she felt the Force encircle her and the pain subsided. Reaching out, she sent her consciousness through the ship once more. The pulsing form of enthusiastic energy was obviously Vette. Moving into the cockpit, she was surprised to find a serene presence, exuding contentment and anticipation, with no traces of the emotional wall that she always felt in Quinn’s presence. _He leaves his guard down when he’s alone. Interesting to know._

Expanding her senses, she touched the Force around the ship. It was an inorganic construct, so there was no life to sense, and the vacuum of space offered little as well. But she slid her awareness over the sleek metallic exterior, touched the power surging through the ion engines, and breathed in the dormant energy waiting to be unleashed through the armaments bristling along the hull. An image began forming….a ghostly form overlaying the sharp lines of the ship…

_Yes….I know you now…._

\-----------------------

The cockpit door slid open with a hiss as the auburn-haired Sith strode through and settled into the command seat overlooking the bridge. Quinn offered her only a brief glance, one hand upon the hyperdrive controls.

“My Lord, we are on approach to Nar Shaddaa and will be arriving in-system…..now”. Even as he spoke the last word, the streaks surrounding them resolved into stars and the planet filled the viewscreen. It was a bright orange orb, shot through with webs of pulsing lights of all colors, orbiting the larger, yet less-gaudy, sickly-green-tinged planet of Nar Hutta.

Hyperia nodded approvingly, “Good, my timing is perfect, then”. Her fingers danced over the keys embedded one arm of the command chair, sending a signal to his console.

Quinn glanced at the readout as it appeared on a small tertiary screen, “The Avril’s Fire, my Lord?”

She only shrugged dismissively, “It’s from a story I heard once, long ago.”

 _Yet another question for another time,_ he mused as he entered the name into the ship registry, then opened a channel to the planet below.

“Nar Shaddaa control, this is the Avril’s Fire, registry Fury359, authorization code 48-Aurek-Trill-Dorn-7-Besh-901, requesting docking clearance at Mezenti Spaceport.”

Seconds stretched into minutes, as Hyperia’s fingers drummed a restless tattoo against the arm of the chair. Quinn seemed equally irritated at the delay, “My apologies, my Lord. Unfortunately, there is a certain lack of efficiency among those stationed on Hutt-owned planets.” Disgust and annoyance were evident in his tone.

The door hissed open once more as Vette stuck her head in, “Are we there yet?” Even before anyone could respond, her gaze caught sight of the planet, “Oh! We’re here! Great! I’d better finish packing!”

 Two sets of eyes locked upon her…one blue, one golden….both holding more than a hint of annoyance at her interruption. “Vette….”, Hyperia began in a low, ominous growl, rising from her chair. She was still feeling the aftereffects of her meditation, added to the delay in landing, and her hackles were up.

Quinn then broke in, “Twi’lek, you had best leave…NOW….before Lord Ysara ….” Even as the words left his mouth, he felt a sudden wave of rage emanate from the Sith Lord, a split second before it was followed by a pulse of Dark Side energy, enveloping him, crushing the breath from his lungs.

“Where. Did. You. Hear. That. Name?!”, her voice was low, but deadly.

His face went a ghostly shade of pale as he struggled to form words, “T-The Jedi….on Bal-morra”.

As soon as it had materialized, the crushing force dissipated and he sagged against the console, coughing. Hyperia also fell back into her chair, sinking her head into one hand, “Damn…I’d forgotten you were there while that bitch was running her mouth.”

Quinn gulped in deep breaths, trying to restore some oxygen to his lungs to form a reply when the console chirped, an Imperial-accented voice filtering over the comm.

“Avril’s Fire, you are cleared to land on VIP platform 86-Besh. Our sincerest apologies for the delay, m’Lord.”

Hyperia pressed a button on her chair and replied sternly, “Acknowledged, docking control. Do not let it happen again.” Raking a hand through her reddish hair, she addressed Quinn who had begun to regain his composure, “Take us in, Captain.”

Self-consciously rubbing his throat, he replied in a slightly winded voice, “Yes, my Lord. My apologies.”

Her rage spent, she closed her eyes, leaning her head back onto the chair, “No need. I…” Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she trailed off in thought for a moment, “How much did you hear?” She had been so focused on the Jedi herself, she had not even taken note of exactly Quinn had arrived on the scene.

“I had only just arrived at the moment you disarmed her”, he said as he began guiding the craft down towards the brightly-lit spaceport. “She called you ‘Ysara’, so I assumed that was your name, since you had given me no other.”

She glanced up from behind her hand, brows furrowed in puzzlement, “Baras didn’t tell you my name when he briefed you before I arrived on Balmorra?”

“No, my Lord. He only referred to you as his apprentice, nothing more.” Now that he thought about it, that did seem rather strange. Baras had not given him any information at all about her…aside from the obvious fact that she was female by the pronouns he used.

“Well, I guess that means I should give you my name, then. Just in case you ever need it…or grow tired of calling me “My Lord” all the time”, a hint of weary humor tinged her words.

“That would not be proper nor appropriate, my Lord.” As he spoke, the ship touched down gently in the spacious docking bay assigned to them, the garish lights of the “Smugglers’ Planet” illuminating the bridge like a cantina dance floor.

“Nevertheless, my name is Hyperia. And, since I know you’re curious, ‘Ysara’ was my name before I became Sith. That person is dead to me, so I would appreciate it if you would never use it again”, her tone turned ominous for a brief moment.

“Of course, my Lord. I will not make that mistake again. You have my word.”

“Good”, she rose from the chair and headed towards the doorway. “I am going to contact Baras. Be ready to disembark once he has briefed me.”

\--------------------------

“Is it safe?”, Vette whispered at Too-Vee’s back as he peered through the galley doorway. Baras’ larger-than-life form had just flickered from the holo, having finished the briefing with his apprentice.

“I am not sure, Mistress Vette. I shall ask.” The droid’s tinny voice replied as he strode into the central deck.

“No….don’t….ugh…stupid droid”, the Twi’lek buried her face in one hand in frustration and wedged herself even further into the far corner of the room.

“Great Lord! Mistress Vette would like to inquire as to whether or not is safe for her to emerge from her hiding place in the galley?”

Hyperia couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that, “Yes, it is safe. And, yes, she may take her little excursion!” Her voice raising at the last to carry to Vette’s hearing.

“Yes!”, the elated cry came from the galley. “Thank you! You’re the best Sith master ever!” Grinning from lekku-to-lekku, she darted into her quarters, grabbed a small pack, and ran out the hatch. “Don’t wait up for me!”

Hyperia watched her retreating form with bemusement as Quinn’s voice piped up behind her, “Forgive me my Lord, but I do not understand why you give her such leeway. She is not even wearing a collar. How do you know that she will even return?”

Shaking her head, she replied, “To be honest, I don’t. But she has been around me long enough to know what I am capable of…and that it is in her best interest not to cross me. She knows that I will hunt her down, and I will replace the collar around her neck if she tries to run. As of right now, I am the better alternative to where she could possibly end up. Here, she has a bed to sleep in, food to eat, and very few expectations. Out there”, she gestures towards the hatchway door, “the chances are very high that she will end up with another master who is not as lenient.”

“I think I see your point. It is just rare to see a slave given such freedom.” His features twisted into a thoughtful scowl as he followed her down the ramp.

“I seem to be getting in the habit of liberating people from their bondage….whether it’s a shock collar, or a desk on a forgotten planet”, she mused as they crossed the hanger deck towards the elevator. “’Through victory, our chains are broken. The Force shall set us free.’ Times like this make me realize that the Code truly is more than mere words.”

The silence stretched between them until they emerged onto the taxi pad outside the spaceport. Neon lights of every color adorned skyscrapers that reached as far as the eye could see. Floating palaces and Hutt barges sailed languidly among the buildings while speeders of every shape and size darted above and below. The air was thick with a cacophony of smells….spice, cheap food, and engine fumes….and sounds.

Hyperia stopped in her tracks, unable to keep from gaping at the spectacle, “It’s like Coruscant….with more colors, and dirtier. Baras mentioned it was a quite a….sordid place.”

“Indeed. I visited here once on shore leave during my earlier years of service. It was….quite the experience.” _And what were you doing on the Republic homeworld?_ , he could not help but wonder.

The familiar smirk that he’d seen so often tugged at her lips as they climbed into the taxi, “Oh, now that sounds like a story that needs telling….”

His angular features pinched into a scowl, “No, it really doesn’t.”

“Oh come now, do you just not want me to know that, sometime in your past, you actually went out and spent some time indulging in some form of debauchery? That you haven’t always been the serious, uptight perfect Imperial officer?”, her voice light and teasing.

“I….”, his features darkened even farther, an angry tightness in his voice, “Had I been a ‘perfect Imperial officer’, as you put it, I wouldn’t have spent the past ten years exiled on Balmorra.”

 _Stang, this is what Vette must have meant about what would happen if I kept poking him,_ Hyperia winced as she felt cortosis reinforce the usual durasteel wall he kept his emotions locked behind. However, this time she wasn’t going to let it stand.

“So, I am curious….why were you banished to that wretched planet for so long anyway? From what I’ve seen, the place seemed a depository for the malcontents, screw-ups and lazy...but, among them, an officer of your caliber was a rather obvious exception.”

He afforded her a quick glance, the compliment unexpected, before turning his gaze back out to the flamboyant Nar Shaddaa landscape, “A decade ago, at the Battle of Druckenwell, I served under Moff Broysc. He made a critical oversight that brought the fleet to the brink of destruction. However, I ignored his orders and turned the tide to victory.”

“Then you are to be commended. I assume the Moff did not feel the same, however?”

“You are most correct in that, my Lord. Not only did he take credit for the reversal….which I could have accepted…but then he court-martialed me, saying that I was the one who made the fatal error and I had disobeyed his orders. Had Darth Baras not intervened and sent me to Balmorra, my career….and possibly my life…would have been over. Moff Broysc blocked every transfer and promotion I’ve been up for since then.”

Hyperia frowned thoughtfully as she mulled this over, “This Moff sounds like a fool. But, I can’t help but wonder why Baras would keep you on Balmorra for so long. He was obviously capable of advancing you.”

“It must have served his purposes somehow”, he shrugged, trying to brush the thought off with nonchalance. However, he had wondered the same thing many times during his exile. But it was not prudent to question a Sith, so he had kept silent. “As far as I was concerned, at least I was alive, still wearing the uniform, and aiding a powerful Sith. As much as I hated being stuck on that planet, it seemed the better alternative to where I could have been.”

“Indeed, and knowing Baras, no matter how useful you may have been, he would have no qualms about crushing an Imperial who asked too many questions. Still….ten years is a very long time.”

“Yes, it is. Just one more reason I am grateful for your arrival and that I was able to serve you and Darth Baras.” His words trailed off as the taxi alighted upon the pad designated as the Correlian Sector.

“Let’s go see what this slavemonger has for us”, she said as they disembarked from the speeder. Pausing for a moment to take in their surroundings, nose wrinkling at the stench of garbage, spice and unwashed bodies, she addressed him quietly over her shoulder, “I do not grant apologies lightly, but I would do so now for what happened back on the ship. You spoke out of ignorance and therefore did not deserve punishment for it.”

“My Lord, you need not apologize….”, he stopped as she held up a hand to silence him.

“You are not the only one whose life was abruptly changed ten years ago. When you spoke that name, I acted out of reflex, for it is the name of the girl who died then…the girl I used to be. It is not something I wish to remember.” She took a deep breath and sighed, “However, since I have asked you to speak on your past, I will promise to tell you about mine if you wish to ask. Just not now.”

Quinn fought for words, his mind reeling. Not only did she apologize, she also offered to lift some of the shroud of mystery regarding her past? It was so uncharacteristic compared to the other Sith he had encountered. _When I said she was not a typical Sith, I didn’t realize how right I really was._ “I do not wish to cause you discomfort, my Lord. It is your prerogative to tell me or not.”

She gestured dismissively as she headed towards the sector entrance,“It is a discussion for another time, Captain. Let’s be off and see to this rogue agent and his Sith master.”

“Right behind you, my Lord.”


	7. Pollution Manifest (Nar Shaddaa Pt2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving all around screaming of the ups and downs  
> Pollution manifested in perpetual sound  
> The wheels go round and the sunset creeps behind  
> Street lamps, chain-link and concrete
> 
> A little piece of paper with a picture drawn floats  
> On down the street till the wind is gone  
> And the memory now is like the picture was then  
> When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again  
> "Forgotten" by Linkin Park (RIP Chester)
> 
> Hyperia and Quinn explore Nar Shaddaa!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I decided to go with the vanilla storyline on this one. It was supposed to be half storyline, half head-canon/fluff, but it ran longer than I thought it would...and there were aspects of the storyline I felt I needed to touch on for potential foreshadowing. So, next chapter we get a tiny bit of vanilla storyline, some fluff, and some backstory on Hyperia (finally!). I still had fun running Nar Shaddaa again to get the gritty, sordid, colorful feel of the planet.
> 
> Comments, kudos and all that are always welcome!

“Sweet talk me all you like, darlin’, but the Exchange is movin’ in on this little operation of yours. No amount of sugar gonna change that”, the heavy Mantellan accent echoed across the vast warehouse as Hyperia and Quinn entered the slaver’s territory. _Man sounds like he should be roping nerfs out on the farm instead of making threats,_ she mused sardonically.

The red-headed woman who was no doubt their contact, Halidrell Setsyn, appeared equally unimpressed, “Trust me, you’re going to prefer the sugar to the spice.” As the pair approached, still unnoticed by the trio of Exchange thugs, the faintest quirk of a smile tugged at the slaver’s lips, “Take one step closer and there will be two dozen Sith surrounding you.”

Even the leader could see through such a transparent bluff, laughing even as Hyperia paused a few steps behind him, “Two dozen? That’s a dead giveaway, darlin’. You got none.”

Leaning in with a sly smile, Hyperia purred in his ear, “She’ll only need one.”

The man visibly jumped, startled by her stealthy appearance behind him, the pair of men flanking him moving for the pistols at their hips, “Not so smug are you now, Captain?”, Halidrell fixed him with a smirk.

Making a quick attempt at recovering, the captain glanced over at Hyperia, insolently appraising the Sith like just one more of Halidrell’s slaves, “So you do got a Sith up your sleeve. Well, we’ve been trained to take out Sith. Time to flex our muscles.”

Hyperia could not restrain a laugh. They were probably trained to take out helpless sniveling wretches like the ones lining the streets of the sector, but taking out a Sith was no doubt far beyond these idiots’ skill set. “You bore me….” Before the man could blink an eye, she seized him in a Force grip, glaring into his eyes as she slowly squeezed the breath out of him. His men fumbled with their pistols only to have Quinn fell them with two quick shots.

The slaver seemed faintly impressed as the Exchange captain’s body crumpled to the floor, “You definitely have a flair for dramatic entrances. I probably could have handled that, but I appreciate the help all the same. I assume you’re the apprentice Darth Baras prepped me for, yes?”

“Yes, how much has he told you?”, she enquired as she let her gaze travel around the warehouse. The air was thick with the scent of spice and unwashed bodies. She was glad she had not brought Vette with her to this. The excitable twi’lek might have gotten it into her head to do something rash. Hopefully, she was being discreet in her revels. Hyperia did not want to end up finding her here.

“He told me why you were here and how I could help”. _Somehow I doubt he told you everything,_ Hyperia silently mused as the woman continued. “You’re here to take out Lord Rathari. It won’t be easy. He usually just appears, devastates, and then disappears. You’ll have to draw him out. He’s been making some major power plays and disrupting them will get his attention.”

Hyperia could not stifle a faint sigh of frustration. _It seems that we can never just straightforwardly hunt down our target and kill it. There always has to involve days’ worth of running around._ “You had better be sure of that. I have no desire to waste my time chasing down dead-end leads.”

“Trust me. If you ruin his business, he’s going to want to chop you into little bitty pieces. He’s been strong-arming the Hutt Cartel….trying to get them to sign over some important territories to him. I’ve gotten word that he and his apprentice, Girik, will be meeting with their representatives at the Cartel headquarters later today. If you burst in and interrupt their little deal….”

“….Rathari would be none too pleased”, Hyperia mused thoughtfully. “But I got the impression that he wasn’t the type to play politics.”

“Well, he’s definitely not the talking type. But since the Cartel is an Imperial ally, he can’t just beat on them…he has to play diplomat.” Halidrell paused for a moment before continuing, “Unfortunately, that applies to you as well. If things do turn violent with the Hutts, you’ll need to make sure to cover your tracks so that you won’t be identified.”

“I am no brash fool to mindlessly storm in and kill everything in sight. As distasteful as I find the Cartel, I will make certain to keep our alliance intact.” The Sith’s voice took a menacing tone, golden eyes narrowed.

“My apologies for offending. I have a shipment of slaves to oversee, but I shall be here when you return.”

Hyperia spun on her heel and left the warehouse, barely able to disguise her disgust. “Ugh, I can see why Baras called this ‘the armpit of the galaxy’. I’m going to need a long shower after this….or make a trip back to Dromund Kaas and stand outside in the rain for a day…just to get clean of all this filth.”

“I agree wholeheartedly with you, my Lord. I am not looking forward to dealing with the Hutts. They are greedy, selfish beasts”, Quinn replied as they walked through the garbage-strewn alleyways, occasionally having to step around bodies….unconscious or dead. “Hopefully Rathari will be there as the woman said and we can be done with this quickly.”

“Somehow, I doubt we will be so lucky….”

\-------------------------------------------

Three hours later, Hyperia strode from the Cartel headquarters building, fuming silently. Rathari had not been there and she had been forced to deal with his smart-mouthed Zabrak apprentice instead. To compound it all, the Hutts actually had the gall to place bets on their duel. For a moment, she had actually considered abandoning the vow she had made to keep peace with the Cartel and cut down the bloated fools anyway.

And although Quinn had little part to play in the whole debacle, she had to admit that he proved himself invaluable. First, by firing a stun dart into Girzik’s neck right as the Zabrak had been about to disarm her. Normally, Hyperia would have been annoyed that he interfered in their duel. But survival always won out against honor in her mind, so she was grateful for his intervention. She also credited him with keeping her from massacring the Hutts outright for taunting her after the duel with their stupid betting. It took nothing more than his softly spoken, “My Lord…” at her side to bring her down from the blood rush that had overwhelmed her, enough to let reason prevail.

Even so, she was seriously considering punishing the slaver woman for her inaccurate intel. But, thankfully for Halidrell, by the time they arrived back at her warehouse, Hyperia had calmed down enough to realize that Rathari had no doubt played them. His apprentice had mentioned that he knew that she was here.

The slaver seemed pleased, however, and assured them that Rathari was no doubt one step away from showing himself. “He’s now on the verge of decimating the Republic garrison in the Industrial Sector. It’s his last-ditch effort to take over the sector. I can’t say he’ll be there personally, but if you interfere with his plans there, it will infuriate him and he will come to you for revenge.”

Hyperia fixed the woman with a steady glare, “You had better be right. I grow tired of this cat-and-mouse game.”

As they were heading to the taxi pad, a CN-model astromech droid approached them, whistling insistently. “What is it?”, Hyperia inquired impatiently. It was bad enough that the droid interrupted them, but she hated having to try and decipher its flurry of chirps and beeps.

A holo flickered into place, resolving into the form of a woman wearing an Imperial uniform she did not recognize, “Forgive the unorthodox introduction, my Lord. My name is Maro Vizhen, head of Special Operations for the Imperial Diplomatic Service. _Impressive title,_ Hyperia mused silently as the woman continued, “I need assistance plucking a thorn from the Empire’s Side. A trivial task for someone of your reputation, I’m sure….”

Hyperia impatiently cut her off, “If it is such a trivial task, then find someone else to take care of it. I have important matters to attend to.”

“I quite understand, my Lord. If you can find time in your busy schedule and would like to assist the Empire in eradicating a powerful crime lord, then please come see me at my office in the Corellian sector. Farewell…” With that, the holo faded out and the droid turned away with a mournful hoot.

She couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of guilt as the droid rolled away…a feeling compounded as Quinn spoke up from his place behind her, “My Lord, forgive me if I’m overstepping my bounds, but I would reconsider aiding Ms. Vizhen. Obviously, once our task for Lord Baras is complete. For someone of her rank to be tasked with a mission such as this means that it is of utmost importance to the Empire.”

“Very well, Captain. We will stop by her office when we have the time and see what she wants. Until then, we have Lord Rathari and his agent to contend with.”

\--------------------

The assault on the Republic outpost went rather smoothly, despite having to kill their own people in order to accomplish their goal. It seemed utterly counterproductive to save Republic soldiers from an Imperial attack. _Such is the fate of those caught between two warring Sith Lords,_ Quinn mused silently. In the end, Imperial forces were nothing more than cannon fodder to be used and disposed of at their Sith masters’ whims. That thought had never settled well with him and he could only hope that it would not be his eventual fate.

His time thusfar in the field with Baras’ apprentice had sparked a newfound admiration for her. He knew, from her accomplishments in Balmorra, that she was more than capable as a fighter. But, it was a whole different world to witness it in person. She was deadly poetry in motion, leaping fearlessly into the fray to cut down her opponents without a thought, while trusting him to watch her back and eliminate any foes she might miss. It did not take long to intuit her style and rhythm of battle, and adjust his own methods accordingly.

He also had to respect her knack for being able to beguile nearly anyone into doing her bidding. Even though the Republic Commander had seemed wary of serving a Sith, she managed to talk him and his men into aiding their cause when the time was right. It seemed as though no one dared to tell her no….and not only because of her power as a Sith, but because she just seemed to know how to handle people in the right way….intimidating one minute, and charming the next.

The insistent chirp of Hyperia’s commlink interrupted his wool-gathering, and she thumbed it on, producing the wavering form of the slaver who was obviously in a state of panic.

“My Lord! My base…my base is under attack!” The holographic figure of the woman crouched, eyes darting in fear, as loud rumbles and blaster fire echoed over the link.

“We will be there as quickly as we can”, Hyperia responded, “Do you know who is responsible?” Even as she said it, she already knew the answer: Lord Rathari, no doubt.

“I don’t know! Ahh…the walls are buckling! The command center is breached!” Her image started to fade, her last words tinged with fearful awe as the link went dead, “I’ve never seen such…power….”

Hyperia scowled in annoyance, though part of her was excitedly anticipating finally facing this elusive Sith, “Well, I guess we got Rathari’s attention. Let’s go!” With that, they took off at a run to the taxi stand, praying that their quarry would still be there when they arrived.

\---------------------------

“Aaaagggh! Rotten son of a…..! Damn coward fled…again!” Hyperia stalked the body-littered warehouse floor, venting her frustration. Rathari had not even bothered to leave the slaves alive. Everyone and everything there was completely decimated: metal cages crushed as though by a giant hand, corpses dismembered and burnt. Only Haidrell’s body was left relatively intact, though her head hung limply at an unnatural angle. Lying next to her was a datapad, a single green light flashing insistently upon its surface.

“It seems Rathari left us a message”, Hyperia sent the message to the nearby holocomm viewer and the image of a hooded Sith towering over the slaver’s cowering form flickered into view.

“It’s clear that Darth Baras failed to inform you of exactly who you were crossing. This demonstration should more than make up for that deficiency.” With a single, swift motion of his hand, he lifted the slaver from her feet and deftly snapped her neck.

“You want Agent Dellocon…you want me….I won’t be hard to find anymore. I’m on the roof of the satellite platform in Network Access. If you dare to show, I will grant you a duel to the death. Be honored.”

Hyperia turned to Quinn as the holo switched off, “Well, it’s about damn time.”

“My Lord, if I may be so bold, I suspect an ambush.”

She scowled as she tapped her fingertips restlessly on the datapad,“Yes, somehow I doubt he’s going to just step forward alone and duel me honorably. It doesn’t seem his style. If I know your military mind, you probably have a thought on how to best handle this?”

“Actually, I do my Lord”. He could not help but feel a small swell of pride that she acknowledged his talents in this way. “I believe that Commander Naughlen and his men owe you a favor. This should be something suited to their talents, I would think.”

“Excellent idea. If nothing else they will make good cannon fodder while we take care of Rathari. Contact him and let him know we are en route….and the consequences if they fail to show.”

\-------------------------------

The pair strode onto the platform, Hyperia’s gaze fixed upon the imposing figure of Lord Rathari. Reaching out with the Force, she sensed waves of confidence, hatred, and craving radiating from him. _If he thinks I’m going to be an easy kill like the slaver, he’s going to be sorely disappointed._ Beside him walked a smaller, lanky older man, wearing an Imperial uniform. _The elusive Agent Dellocon….hiding behind Rathari’s power._

“Lord Rathari, you finally show yourself.” She stopped before him, her gaze boring insolently into his. _Let him think that I come into this ignorant of his trap. I know that Quinn is back there, sizing up the full strength of his forces even now._

“I see you lack your Master’s caution. I applaud that.” Turning to the weasely little man, he gestured to her with a large gloved hand. “Dellocon, Baras’ lackey is here now. Say your piece before I dispatch this would-be assassin.”

Emboldened by the large Sith Lord’s presence, the scrawny agent yelled, “Baras is insane and paranoid! I was a faithful servant and my cover was intact! Did he expect me to just stand by and wait to be murdered…just for his own reassurance?!”

Hyperia had to admit the man had a point. In his position, the last thing she would do was sit and wait to be killed. “You knew this could happen. Working for Baras carries its own risks.” _As I know all too well._

“Yes, and I know how to avoid them! Now Lord Rathari protects me and all of Baras’ secrets will be his!” As much as she had to admire the little man’s tenacity, she was beginning to find his constant toadying to Rathari annoying. But, apparently, Rathari drank it up on a regular basis.

“Dellocon and all of your Master’s secrets are mine now”, the Sith Lord gloated, confidence radiating from him. “In a hundred years when I am legendary among the Sith, you and your Master’s death at my hands will not even be a footnote.” A smirk tugged at his pale lips as the sound of several footsteps echoed behind them, “However, I wouldn’t lower myself to duel an apprentice such as you. You haven’t earned the honor.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, “So predictable. I figured you would be a fool too cowardly to face me alone.” At her words, Quinn touched a button on his commlink, signaling the Republic forces standing by.

His confidence never wavered as he gestured to the line of soldiers who flanked them from behind, weapons drawn, “You cannot goad me into it, worm. These are my elite guard, trained to take on Sith. Half of them could kill you with ease…but I don’t like to play favorites.”

Even as he spoke, the roar of jetpacks cut through the night sky, eliciting a triumphant smirk upon Hyperia’s lips, “You aren’t the only one who brought backup, Rathari. I think your men might be a little busy with my men.” The sound of armored boots alighting on the platform behind Rathari’s men drew a scowl upon the Sith Lord’s pale visage.

“I see now that I’ve underestimated your resourcefulness. No matter…men, kill these Republic fools!” He yelled to his men as he lunged forward, lightsaber drawn.

Hyperia sprang to meet his attack as Quinn took out Dellocon with a quick stun dart before turning to aid the Republic soldiers against Rathari’s men. Rathari had not understated his men’s abilities, so they had their hands full. Hyperia was barely holding her own against the Lord himself, meeting each flurry of attacks with her own. Just when she started to get the upper hand, pressing him back slowly, he smirked and thrust his hand out, shoving her back several feet where she bumped into Quinn, knocking his shot wide and sending him stumbling.

With a snarl, she leapt to Rathari, using the Force to slam him to the ground before swiftly knocking his saber from his hand. She glanced over her shoulder as she held her own saber to his throat, addressing Quinn…who had just finished mopping up the last of the ambushers alongside the Pubs, “Are you alright, Captain?”

“Fine, my Lord. It seems we are victorious.” He offered the Republic soldiers a grudging nod of respect before returning to her side where Rathari sagged in pain before her.

“I yield! I have never seen such raw power”, he waveringly rose to his feet under Hyperia’s wary gaze. “The day and the planet are yours. I freely pass the scepter.” With a swift motion, he recovered his fallen saber, turned to Dellocon and ran him through. Then with the same fluidity, deactivated it and offered it to her as he dropped to one knee before her.

“The threat Dellocon posed to you and your Master is ended. I hope it ingratiates me to you in some way.” He bowed his head as she sheathed her own saber to take his. Frowning, she turned it over in her hands thoughtfully. It bore the signs of expert craftsmanship and she had to admit that the man himself had honor and skill.

“I had rather hoped to kill him myself, but I understand your desire to prove your worth. What is it you desire?”

She felt the slightest flicker of hope sparking within him as he spoke, “It is clear to me now….it is you who will rise above your Master and bring about his end, not I. Grant me mercy so that I may live to see it….and, if you are willing, that I may play some small part in it.”

Taking on Baras was something that was always in the back of her mind, for it was expected that eventually, the apprentice would seek to topple the master. However, she knew that was something that would probably many years in the making. Baras was powerful and devious, it would be no simple matter to take him down. For now, she was content to rising to power at his behest, but she could not help but realize that she would need to build her own power base eventually.

She tossed a glance to Quinn, but could not glean anything of what he was feeling about this offer, and he remained uncharacteristically silent. _It no doubt puts him in an awkward position to know that eventually I will try to kill the man who saved his life and career. But it is the Sith way, surely he understands that._

Gesturing Rathari to rise, she passed his lightsaber back to him, “Very well. You shall be my minion to be called whenever I see fit. You shall abandon all other ambitions.”

“So it shall be”, he bowed as he reclaimed his weapon and returned it to his belt. “I will await your summons and make ready for the day you seek to topple Baras.”

Nodding once more, she turned to Quinn, “Now, I think we might have time to see what that Diplomatic Corps woman was wanting. Shall we?”

“Of course, my Lord….lead the way….”


	8. Neon and Glass and Memories (Nar Shaddaa Pt3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the night  
> From the opposite side of the light  
> From the twin planet we never see  
> From downtown eternity
> 
> From the night  
> From the empty and glittering towers  
> From the faces you glimpse through the glass  
> From all of the dead hours  
> -"From the Night" by Stars
> 
> Hyperia and Quinn meet my Bounty Hunter in a brief cameo. Then our illustrious trio go out for drinks and shed some light on the past....
> 
> (NOTES at the end this time...and probably from here on out.)

Hyperia and Quinn strode into the office designated as belonging to the Imperial Diplomatic Service, to find the woman from the holo, Maro Vizhen, speaking to a rather unusual trio on her holocomm: a Hutt, a Devaronian, and what appeared to be an assassin droid. Standing alongside Maro were a tall, heavily armored Zabrak woman and a petite young human female with dark hair.

The Hutt was currently speaking, “My informants tell me that Ukabi is preparing for war…against the Empire and all of its allies!

“He is preparing an army of stim-enhanced killers and cybernetically-linked assassins”, the Devaronian added before the droid piped up as well in its modulated voice.

“Detonite droid production has increased.”

Maro seemed highly flustered by this information, but put on a face of bravado, “Well…okay…that’s fine. If Ukabi hasn’t learned his lesson yet, then the Empire can handle his dying blows.”

“You don’t seem to understand”, the Devaronian interjected, “My sources report Exchange death squads are on the move. Since you destroyed his assets, he’ll destroy ours! The Promenade, factories, slave pens”

The Hutt seemed even more distraught at this news, “Death squads in the casinos, slaughtering customers, massacring slaves!”

With that, Hyperia turned to Quinn and whispered, “Get ahold of Vette, make sure she lays low until this is handled.” As he nodded and slipped from the room, she discretely cleared her throat.

All eyes turned to the Sith as she approached the group, “Sorry I’m late to the party. You needed my help with something?”

Before Maro could speak, the tall Zabrak woman narrowed her yellow eyes at Hyperia, looking down at her with a mixture of amusement and irritation writ upon her tattooed ruby skin, “We’ve got it handled, Sith.” Her voice was low and abrasive, as though having smoked a few too many death sticks in her time.

Hyperia eyed the woman right back, taking in her battered armor and well-used rifle. _Bounty hunter, no doubt. Afraid I’m going to cut in on her job._ Before she could retort, the droid interrupted, “It may be prudent to have an extra weapon in this fight. Ukabi has also increased production of his augmented soldiers in his chemical enhancement facilities. It must be stopped or he will add their numbers to his army.”

“You see, there’s enough carnage to go around for everyone”, Hyperia smiled acid-sweetly to the Zabrak woman.

“One of you can go to the landing platforms and take out his death squads when they disembark, the other can destroy the kolto tanks housing his enhanced soldiers”, the Devaronian suggested.

The young woman accompanying the bounty hunter turned to her and asked, “C’Zara, we should go make sure the death squads don’t hurt anyone, don’t you think?”

The Zabrak scowled for a moment, her eyes never leaving Hyperia’s, then nodded, “Fine, Mako. Think you and pretty-boy can handle the super-soldiers, Sith?”

“I think we can manage”, she smirked as she glanced over her shoulder to note Quinn had returned to her side to address her quietly.

“My Lord, Vette said that she will be fine and that….I should stop being a ‘fussy mother hen’ over her”, his features pinched in obvious disgust.

Hyperia couldn’t stifle a chuckle at that, “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She knows this place better than either of us, after all.” Turning back to the bounty hunter, she gestured to the door, “Well, it looks like we have something to occupy both of us. Have fun with the death squads.” With that, she spun on her heel and strode from the office.

\------------------------

Hyperia sheathed her saber as the last body fell at her feet, stepping around the others littering the kolto-soaked floor. The production facility smelled of burnt chemicals and melted electrical wires, mingled with scorched flesh. The “enhanced” soldiers and their handlers had been far less of a challenge than she had thought they would be. She couldn’t help but wonder how the bounty hunter and her little sidekick were dealing with the death squads.

As they left the facility, she opened a channel to Maro, “The production center is destroyed…along with the so-called ‘super soldiers’. Do you need us for anything else?”

The dark-haired diplomat bowed, “No, my Lord. I believe we have it under control now. Thank you for your assistance.”

Normally, she might have been annoyed that the bounty hunter had taken over the mission, but in this case, she was just anxious to put the planet behind her. Cutting the channel with Maro, she then switched over to contact Vette. It took a few tries, during which Hyperia felt a slight panic that the twi’lek might have gotten herself captured or killed during the attack, before the girl’s slender form appeared on the holo.

“Vette! It’s about time you picked up. Are you alright?” She forced to keep the worry from her voice, replacing it with irritation.

“I’m fine! Everything’s calmed down here. I heard some Zabrak bounty hunter or something was tearing through those Exchange thugs. Never even saw them.” She paused for moment as though pondering over something, then exclaimed excitedly, “Hey! I’m over at the Star Cluster! If you’re done with your death, destruction and domination, you should come join me! Pleeasseee! You can even bring Captain Stuffy-Pants with you.”

The scowl on Quinn’s face at the persistent nickname forced a chuckle from the Sith, “Oh, I have your permission, do I….slave?” She forced an ominous tone in her voice, narrowing her eyes at the twi’lek’s image.

Vette’s eyes went wide as she slapped a hand over her mouth, “Oh! I didn’t mean it like that! I’m sorry! I mean…if you want to come, I think it would be fun. Have a drink and relax after all the…..whatever it is you’ve been doing….killing and stuff.”

“Very well, we shall meet you there momentarily”, her reply met with a “Yippee! I’ll see you there!” before the comm went dark.

Quinn turned to her, looking as though he had eaten something sour, “My Lord, with all due respect….I believe I will await you back at the ship and make it ready for departure.”

Hyperia frowned, fixing him with a narrow-eyed stare, “Oh no, Captain. You are not getting out of this. If I have to go socialize, so do you.” Taking him by the arm, she steered him towards the taxi stand. “Think of it as what the military likes to call ‘mandatory fun’.”

Quinn attempted to stifle a groan….unsuccessfully…as he recalled all the times he had been forced to participate in just that, but climbed into the taxi at her side.

\---------------------------------

A few moments later, the taxi alighted upon the landing pad of an enormous floating casino. Its altitude above the city afforded a magnificent view and Hyperia could not help but to pause to take in the colorful vista.

“You’re here!” Her momentary reverie was interrupted by Vette’s enthusiastic greeting, and she turned to see the twi’lek running to them with….something…clutched in her hands. As she drew closer, Hyperia could see that it was a handful of paper slips, tinged gold. Vette noticed her gaze and thrust the papers out to her, “Here! You take them! I won them and they’re worth a lot….and I figure no one’s going to want to steal them off of a Sith Lord.”

Brows knitting in faint confusion and amusement, Hyperia took the slips and tucked them into a pouch at her belt. “What are they good for, anyway?”

“You can trade them in for prizes….clothes, speeders, pets, armor, weapons….you name it! I’m saving them up for a few things I have my eye on.” Turning back to the casino entrance, the twi’lek beckoned them forward. “C’mon! I found us the perfect spot, but it’s kind of VIP territory and there’s no way I could get in. But a Sith Lord like you probably won’t have any problem at all!”

Hyperia shrugged and tossed Quinn a bemused smirk before following Vette into the casino. The place was huge, its spacious carpeted floor hosting rows upon rows of slot machines, as well as sabacc and dejarik tables. Holographic lights of every color flashed upon the ceiling, walls, and even floor. Beings of multiple species intermingled with droids who scurried about, serving drinks, taking orders and cleaning. The place was obviously an Imperial-dominated location due to the fact that most of the aliens there were playing a subservient role, and not actual customers themselves. _No wonder Vette didn’t want to come here without us,_ Hyperia mused as the twi’lek led them upstairs and back to the front section of the casino.

A pair of well-muscled cyborgs stood guarding a roped-off section, but swiftly stepped aside as Hyperia took the lead and fixed them with her golden eyes, allowing ripples of the Force emanate towards them. As they passed the bouncers, Vette grinned, “See? I told you that you could get us up here! Isn’t it great?”

Hyperia followed her to the balcony that overlooked the city and had to admit that she was right. The view was amazing. They had spent so much time picking their way through the dirty streets and alleyways of the city that she had forgotten what it looked like from above. Skyscrapers stretched far above the hazy orange clouds and lights of every color adorned them like gaudy jewels. It had a certain….sordid beauty about it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by an inquisitive beep at her feet and she turned to see a small server droid patiently awaiting her order. After pondering a moment, she decided, “Alderaani White”. Turning to Quinn who was silently surveying the view, she enquired, “So, what are you having, Captain?”

Snapped from his reverie, he shook his head and waved a hand dismissively, “Nothing for me, my Lord.”

A scowl darkened her coppery features, “Oh no…that’s against the rules of mandatory fun. You _will_ have a drink with us. Either you order something…or I will. And what I order will be something foul-tasting that knocks you to the ground with one sip. So, tell the nice droid here what you want.” She fixed him with a stern glare as she gestured to the patiently-waiting droid.

Quinn released an exasperated sigh. It was so difficult at times to determine if she was being serious with him or not. He briefly entertained the idea of telling her no, just to see what she would do. But, he found…like he had observed not that long ago….that she was nigh impossible to say no to. “Very well, my Lord. Dromund Brandy, then.”

“Hah!” Vette’s voice chirped from Hyperia’s side. “I knew you were a brandy type! Nailed it!” The twi’lek did a little victory dance before placing her own order of something called an “Izzy-Mold”. “I’m gonna go see if I can win anything else! See you in a few!” And, with that, she disappeared back downstairs.

Hyperia returned her attention back to the neon-lit expanse before them, “It really is rather beautiful….in a seedy sort of way”, she muttered thoughtfully. “Like some of these slave dancers you see….all made-up and pretty on the outside with all their shiny baubles and silk….but used-up and soiled on the inside. So many bright lights to hide so much corruption and decay. It’s like someone took Coruscant and dipped it in dirt and glitter.”

Her mention of Coruscant for the second time since they arrived caught his attention and he ventured cautiously to ask her about it, his curiosity piqued, “My Lord, forgive my boldness, but I cannot help but ask about your experience with Coruscant. You speak as though you have lived there.”

She turned to offer him a faint smile, though a tinge of sadness shone through her gaze, “I did….for five long years….” Her voice trailed off as the droid arrived with their drinks. Taking her glass, she gestured to the small couches assembled around a low table nearby. “Let us sit. I would prefer to wait until Vette returns to tell this story…so that I do not have to do it twice. And I need to have a drink first….or maybe more than one.”

Each settling into their own respective couch, they sat and drank in silence. Hyperia could tell that curiosity was about to overwhelm the Captain, but he did an excellent job hiding it as he opted to sip slowly on his brandy and watch the speeder traffic flit by the balcony.

Several minutes later, just as the droid came to enquire about refills, Vette returned to the lounge, cradling a thin sealed package in her arms. With a wicked smile, she laid it down on the couch next to Hyperia, “I picked something up for you with some of my winnings. Don’t open it until we’re back on the ship.” Casting her brown eyes to the droid, she continued, “So, we having another drink?”

“Yes…at least I am”, Hyperia replied, gesturing to the empty couch beside her. “Sit…I know you’ve been dying to ask me about what you heard on Balmorra….from the Jedi. And I need something stronger if I’m going to talk about it.”

“Oh! Storytime! Great! I know just the thing!” Turning to the droid, Vette grinned deviously, “Get my Sithy friend here a Tarkenian Nightflower….and another Izzy-Mold for me and….” She glanced over at Quinn, frowning as she noticed that his glass was barely half-empty, “You certainly are taking your time with that!” Turning back to the server droid, she shrugged, “Get him another one too.” The droid whistled acknowledgement and rolled away as Vette tucked her feet beneath her and leaned in with anticipation, “So, we finally get to hear about when you were a Jedi?”

Quinn nearly spit out his drink at her words and Hyperia groaned, features pinching in obvious irritation, “I wasn’t a Jedi, Vette.”

“But that Jedi on Balmorra…she said that you could ‘come back’ to them….” Her voice trailed off as the Sith raised a silencing hand.

“Yes, but I wasn’t a Jedi….” She released a long sigh as she drained the last of the wine in her glass, silently wishing for the droid to arrive with their refills. “Not technically, anyway. I was still just an initiate….and probably would have been forever, if they had their way.” Hearing the droid rolling towards them, she reached out with the Force and snatched her drink from its tray, taking a cautious sip before downing a long swig of the sweet purple liquor.

“Yeah, somehow I don’t see you as the calm, emotionless type”, Vette ventured hesitantly.

Hyperia chuckled, feeling the warmth of the liquor spread through her limbs, “I wasn’t. I was completely incorrigible, according to Mashellon. She was one of my main trainers. I think the only reason she latched onto me was because she saw me as a challenge to overcome. She always thought so highly of herself. She wanted to be the one who could take credit for ‘taming’ me.” Her voice was full of disgust as she spoke of the now-dead Jedi.

“She said that you died…on Coruscant…or she thought you did, anyway.”

“Yes….” Hyperia glanced to Quinn, who was sitting almost literally on the edge of his seat, brandy glass clasped untouched in his hands as he listened. “To answer your question as well, Quinn….I trained at the Jedi Temple there…..and was there when it fell to the Sith. I did almost die there…or perhaps, in a way, I did die there. Who I was….Jedi Initiate Ysara Teral….ceased to be and was reborn as Sith Acolyte Hyperia.”

She closed her eyes for a long moment, reliving that day as though it had just happened yesterday, “I remember, I was on my way to another training session….but I felt something. Our instructors had told us about the Dark Side of the Force, but the Sith seemed more just a story to frighten younglings with than an actual threat. But, I felt it…beckoning, like a serpent trying to wrap itself around me. Then the Sith arrived….the shuttle tore through the Temple….but even though it was crumbling around me, I couldn’t move. There was….death…everywhere…fear, hate, passion, elation….and not all from the Sith. Even the Jedi let loose their emotions that day.”

She paused to take another sip of her drink…it was potent stuff and helped to loosen her tongue to speak of events she had not spoken of for almost a decade. “I was so enraptured by all of it….I almost didn’t hear the ceiling collapse. As far as the Jedi might have known…if they had even cared to wonder about a lowly rebellious initiate….I had been crushed by the falling debris and killed. And for a time, it felt like I was dead….even though I’d managed somehow to use the Force to shield myself from most of the rubble, I was still pinned beneath it. I don’t know how long I laid there…pain makes any time an eternity…before the Sith found me.”

“The first was younger…and reeked of cruelty and hatred. He thought it amusing to torture a helpless wounded girl and proceeded to lash me with a live electrical cable that still sparked nearby.“ One hand lifted unconsciously to rub at the scars encircling her throat and crawling across her jaw beneath the cybernetics.

“The second one was apparently drawn by my screams and arrived just as I somehow managed to gather enough strength to use the Force to toss the younger one away. He was an older Sith...pureblood…and only exuded curiosity, along with a simmering power. The younger one would have killed me on the spot, had the other not stopped him. I heard him say something about not wasting someone with such power. I didn’t know he was talking about me. I thought I was dead….but woke up much later on a ship bound for Dromund Kaas. The older Sith, Lord Itharis, became my mentor for the next ten years until I was sent to Korriban to become Darth Baras’ apprentice.”

She drained the last of the liquor and set the glass upon the table, looking up at them for the first time since she started the tale. Both twi’lek and human wore expressions of varying degrees of interest and surprise, as though seeing her for the first time.

“Whoa….” Vette spoke first, her voice a mixture of awe and sympathy. “How old were you?”

“When the Temple was destroyed? Seventeen.” Her lips quirked in a wry half-smile, “I was something of a late bloomer as far as the Jedi were concerned. And it certainly didn’t help my attitude to be surrounded by a bunch of kids that were less than half my age. I was such a disappointment….” She rolled her eyes sardonically before settling back on the couch, her gaze drifting across the table to where Quinn sat, still lost in thought.

\----------------------------

 _She was a Jedi-in-training….I never would have believed it. She’s not even Imperial. I knew something about her accent was off…it wasn’t natural._ Quinn’s head was reeling. It was as though everything he had assumed he knew about her was wrong. _She spent over half her life as a Republic citizen…one of the enemy…and even training as a Jedi, at that. She always seemed…different…but still somehow embodies the Sith and Imperial ideal. And her last name, “Teral”, where have I heard it before?_

Hyperia’s voice intruded into his rumination, “So….since we’re telling stories now. It’s your turn, Captain. I want to know about your little adventure here in your younger days that you mentioned earlier.”

He snapped out of his reverie, eyes wide, and shook his head emphatically, his pale skin flushing brightly. “My Lord, with all due respect…no. I’d much rather not.”

Crossing her arms and fixing him with a deadly stare, she let her voice drop into a cold growl, “And if I make it an order, Captain?”

Had he been Force-sensitive, he would have been able to read that her stern visage was but a sham. Lacking in that ability, his expression fell as he exhaled a weary sigh, his gut tying in knots, “If you order me to, then I shall have no choice.” _Please don’t,_ he silently pleaded, _It was so humiliating._

She studied him thoughtfully across the table for a long moment, then Force-lifted the untouched snifter of brandy to hover before him, “Have another drink, Captain. You’ll be surprised how much easier it becomes to talk about the painful things.” _She’s speaking of her own difficulty in talking about her past. I suppose it is only fair that I return the favor. What I went through was nothing compared to what she described._

Drawing in a deep breath, he took the glass from her unseen grasp and downed half of the warm liquor in one pull. “Very well. Back before Druckenwell, when I was just an ensign fresh out of the academy, my squadron’s commanding officer allowed our flight to take shore leave here. Only one of us, Lieutenant Saunders, had ever been here before, so he was going to show us all the sights.” He closed his eyes and let the liquor start to spread its warmth, hoping the numbness would make the telling easier.

“We were all young and naïve, and wanted to experience everything Nar Shaddaa offered. We imagined meeting up with beautiful women, and partaking in every illicit thing we could find…within regulations, of course. Even then, I might have been young, but not stupid enough to want to jeopardize my career.”

“Of course”, her golden eyes danced with a mixture of curiosity and amusement as she listened.

“Regardless, we decided to visit a rather….disreputable club in search of some sort of cheap thrill. My comrades attempted to pair me off with a rather lovely twi’lek….girl. Being young and stupid….and more than a little drunk….I went off with her.” He paused again, this time downing the last of the drink to fortify his courage before continuing, “Only to find out it wasn’t a ‘her’, but a ‘him’.” He shuddered visibly, revolted at the image that flashbacked in his mind.

Hyperia and Vette both blinked, eyes wide in amazement before the twi’lek burst into laughter, “You got set up with a he’she? That’s hilarious! Let me guess, it was at Club Ufora?”

Quinn winced visibly and nodded, “Yes. As I said, we were young, dumb, drunk and stupid. We didn’t know of its reputation at the time.”

“I’ll bet the Lieutenant knew”, she said with a wicked sparkle in her brown eyes. “It’s one of the oldest pranks in the book to take some greenie there to ‘experience’ the seedier side of Nar Shaddaa. Be glad it was just a he’she….I’ve heard stories….ugh, they’d make your skin crawl. You could’ve ended up kidnapped by slavers or dissected by an organ trader.”

“I am quite thankful I was not. But, it was not a pleasant experience to say the least.”

Vette eyed him for a moment longer, a devious smirk curling her lips, “You know….that explains a lot about you. Why you’re so uptight…especially around women. You afraid that Lord Sithyness here is going to take you to her quarters one evening and you’re going to find something under that armor you weren’t expecting?”

Had she a drink to choke on, Hyperia would have. Quinn just turned bright red and stammered, “What? No! I—“

The twi’lek convulsed with laughter, holding her sides as she nearly fell out of her couch, “Oh stars! You should see your faces! This is more fun than I thought it would be!”

Recovering her composure somewhat, Hyperia tossed a mock-glare to the giggling twi’lek, “Vette! Stop tormenting the man!” Though she couldn’t help but cast a sidelong look at Quinn, who looked fit to crawl under the table at this point, and leaned in to murmur with a sly wink, “However, if you ever want proof of what I am under the armor, I’ll be willing to provide it….just say the word.”

Quinn swallowed hard, unable to keep from meeting her gaze, _Is she…? No, she’s drunk….and I’m getting drunk. This is…._ He found himself focusing on her lips, suddenly wondering what it would be like to kiss them. She was so close, he could feel the heat radiating from her flushed skin. Abruptly he stood, feeling his head spin, “I- I should get back to the ship. Get it ready to depart tomorrow.”

Hyperia settled back on the couch, crossing her arms in disappointment. He had been so close. For a brief moment, she got the faintest teasing glimpse of what lay hidden beneath his somber demeanor. “Permission granted, Captain….sweet dreams.”

He tried to form a response to the subtle tease in her words, but gave up and merely sketched a brief bow before turning on his heel and making his way…somewhat unsteadily….from their presence.

“And you told me not to torment the ‘poor man’. You are evil, you know that?” Vette tried to sound stern, but failed.

“So you keep telling me”, Hyperia stretched languidly and yawned. “We should probably get back to the ship as well. I’m sure Baras will be wanting to hear from us in the morning.”

“Fine….” Vette mock-pouted as she rose from the couch, “Didn’t think Sith would be such lightweights”, she muttered under her breath before gesturing to the thin package still lying next to Hyperia. “Don’t forget that! It might come in handy if Captain Stuffy-Pants ever decides to ask for…’proof’.” The twi’lek grinned deviously.

Hyperia cast her a sidelong look as she turned the package over in her hands, “What is it? Slinky lingerie or something?”

“Nah…nothing that overt. Just…let’s say if you put that on, there will be no question at all about your true gender.” She winked as she practically skipped away, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be there in a few. I have a few more goodies to pick up!"

Shaking her head in amusement, Hyperia tucked the package under her arm and walked from the casino into the neon-lit night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun piece to write after I got through the vanilla stuff. Obviously, I skimmed over the whole Shadow Syndicate storyline quite a bit because I didn't want it running too long, but I needed it to segue into the 'night on the town' segment. Tossed in a cameo by my Bounty Hunter From Another Mother (or, actually, another server) to help propel it along. For those who are currently playing the game, you'll note that I decided to include details from the Nar Shaddaa Nightlife event currently taking place. Vette has slicer talents after all, so I figured she'd be able to walk away with quite a few winnings (no rancor mount, though!).  
> ***NOTICE: Due to a rather rude comment I received on this chapter, I feel the need to clarify that just because I decided to settle on a cliched joke about someone getting unwittingly getting setup with a transvestite, does NOT make me transphobic. Yes, it's an old, worn-out cliched trope...so can I be accused of a little lazy writing? Sure...I was getting tired by the time I got to that part and took the easy way out because my brain couldn't conjure up anything else at the time. But anyone who knows me IRL knows that I am a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community. Will I end up rewriting that bit? Maybe. Maybe not. If I come up with anything better...or if anyone, especially the original commenter, can think up something better, I am more than open to suggestions.


	9. Can't Have Everything (Tracking Station)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You give me the anger.  
> You give me the nerve.  
> Carry out my sentence.  
> While I get what I deserve.  
> I'm just an effigy to be disgraced.  
> To be defaced.  
> Your need for me has been replaced.  
> And if I can't have everything well then just give me a taste.  
> \--"Sin" by NIN
> 
> Hangovers, Baras is NOT happy, and meeting Nomen Karr. Whew!

0500…0500…0500….

The chronometer flashed, accompanying the faint sonic alarm, its frequency designed to cut through even the deepest of slumbers.

Quinn groaned and carefully leveraged himself upright from the narrow bed. His skull felt like it had been crammed with matted wampa fur. He couldn’t recall the last time he had drank that much. _Probably the last time I was on Nar Shaddaa,_ he mused with another groan at the memory that recalled. Most of the other Imperials who were trapped on Balmorra chose to distract from the misery of being there through alcohol, women (or men)…sometimes even spice. But Quinn had chosen to immerse himself in his work instead, drinking nothing stronger than a stimcaf when needed…and never engaging in any relationship outside the strictly professional.

 _And in the span of a single evening, I manage to get drunk and spill sordid tales to my superior…who offered….what? A one-night stand?_ He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, trying to prevent the muzzy-headedness from turning into a full-blown headache. _I just can’t figure her out. She’s the consummate professional one minute, and the next, she’s practically undressing me with her eyes…_ His thoughts trailed off as he tried to shake the image of her leaning across the table, lips parted invitingly, her golden eyes beckoning.

 _Damnit…I need to write this report, not sit here daydreaming._ He had set his chronometer early in hopes of waking before the women did so that he could get his report to Baras written and sent off before Hyperia contacted him for the next assignment.

He settled into the chair at his desk and activated the datapad, staring at the screen for a long moment as he pondered what to say. _He wants to know all about her. Knowing Baras, he wants weaknesses he can exploit, signs of defiance….anything that she would try to hide from him._ His gut twisted as he recalled how she spared Lord Rathari, one of Baras’ enemies, to serve her when the time came for her to oppose him. _How can I tell him this? He would, no doubt, have her killed out of hand for such an insult. Or, there’s a small chance he might even appreciate her boldness. Either way, I put her at serious risk. But, if I lie…tell him she killed Rathari….he would find out eventually and it would be my neck being snapped. I will have to phrase this just right…._

Taking a deep breath, he began to quickly type out the report, occasionally pausing to contemplate his wording. About two-thirds of the way through, a quiet chime sounded at his door, followed by the timid metallic voice of Too-Vee, “Gentle Captain, please forgive me if I am disturbing you. I heard that you were awake and wondered if my humble personage could serve you in any way. A cup of caf, perhaps?”

 _Now that is music to my ears,_ he thought as he replied, “Yes, Too-Vee, that would be appreciated.”

“Always happy to serve”, the droid intoned before his steps faded from outside Quinn’s door.

Several minutes passed and Quinn was just adding the finishing touches to the report when the chime sounded again, “Come in.”

The door slid open and the warm aroma of caf wafted through the doorway. “Just put it over here, Too-Vee”, he gestured to the corner of the desk as he pressed “Send” on the report.  However, the hand that set the cup on the desk did not belong to any droid. He glanced up, and gave a surprised start to see Hyperia standing beside him, an impish smile on her lips.

“My Lord….I….” He started to stand then realized why she was staring at him like she was: he had not bothered to get dressed after he woke up, intending to do so after he finished the report. He had just stripped down to his underclothes last night and literally fell into bed.

“Well, I can say without hesitation that there is no doubt in my mind what _your_ gender is, Captain”, she purred as her gaze roamed unabashedly over him.

Quinn was pretty sure that his face had to be literally glowing with embarrassment. He felt incredibly vulnerable at the moment, even moreso because she was already fully dressed in her usual simple black armor and looked infinitely more rested than he felt…despite his assumption that she had made a longer night of it.

As he fought for words and failed, she tapped the still-steaming cup, “It’s Kaasian. I figured after last night, we probably all needed something a bit stronger to start our day. Drink up….and get dressed. I’ll be contacting Baras shortly.” She started to leave, then paused just outside the doorway to toss him one more sly smile, “…or you don’t have to get dressed. I’m rather enjoying the view.”

With that, the door slid shut behind her and he sank his head into his hands with a groan. He was going to need more than one cup of caf to get through this day.

\-----------------------

“….done well, my apprentice. Dellocon eliminated and Lord Rathari dispelled. This will be a day long remembered.”

Quinn emerged from his quarters, having cleaned up and donned his uniform, in time to catch Lord Baras’ compliment. _He didn’t say Rathari was ‘killed’. This does not bode well._

“The loss of Halidrell Setsyn is unfortunate. But the ends far justify the means.” Baras continued, earning a faint scowl from Hyperia.

“I’ve noticed that your ‘means’ usually involve an excessive amount of people dying”, she replied. The fact that every single one of his missions to assassinate one individual usually turned into a mass slaughter of everyone around them was starting to wear on her nerves. It was not that she minded killing, she just preferred to take the straightest line to a target, rather than the scorched earth methods Baras employed.

“Do not even begin to try to fathom my schemes, young one. You are my sword arm, your function is to eliminate who I decree…without question.”

“I did not realize that I became your apprentice only to serve as a mindless drone”, she was beginning to get very weary of his cryptic ways and his insistence on leaving her in the dark.

“You are beginning to tax my patience, apprentice. Do you think that you are safe just because I cannot physically reach you?”

Hyperia’s eyes suddenly went wide as an invisible force grasped her throat and began to slowly squeeze.

“If I wanted a mindless drone, I would have made you into one. Do you doubt me?”

She started sinking to her knees as she gasped for air, attempting to choke out a reply as her fingers scrabbled at her throat, “N-no, Mas—ter.”

“Good.” With that, he released her to collapse upon the deckplates, coughing as her lungs gulped in air. “You are my apprentice because you are powerful and resourceful…and stubborn. I will tolerate your queries and doubt….only to a point and only when they are presented with the proper respect. Know that there are always reasons for what I do, even if you are not privy to them.”

“Yes…..Master.” She climbed slowly back to her feet and offered a respectful bow. “My apologies.” Inwardly, she was still seething at being treated like a disposable thing to be used as he saw fit.

“Now, if we are quite done with this foolishness, we can proceed. It appears that your ship is being tracked. I have traced the signal to a space station not far from you in this sector. I am sure this is Nomen Karr’s doing.”

 _If you say so,_ she thought sardonically, but held her peace and waited for him to continue.

“I have sent the coordinates to your mainframe. Go now…and make a lasting impression.” Before she could respond, the holo cut out.

“Whoa…what in the galaxy were you thinking?!” Vette piped up from behind her. “I thought he was going to kill you there for a minute!”

Hyperia shook her head, rubbing her throat self-consciously, “To be honest, I don’t know. I just got tired of him jerking us about like puppets.” She suddenly looked rather tired as she pressed her fingers to her temples, “I have such a headache. No more Tarkenian Nightflowers….ever.”

“Would you care for an analgesic, my Lord?”, Quinn inquired from the doorway to the medbay where he had been lingering during her conversation with Baras.

“Yes, that would be wonderful, Quinn. The caf didn’t help as much as I thought it would.” She rubbed her temples again, wincing as another stab of pain lanced through her skull.

“Vette, can you take us to the tracking station?” He normally would not have allowed the twi’lek anywhere near the controls, but Hyperia had mentioned that she was a decent pilot…and he wanted to take a few moments to make certain Darth Baras had not caused her any permanent damage.

“No problem, Captain Fanc-….er, sorry, Quinn, sir”, Vette grinned sheepishly as she ducked into the cockpit.

“Sit”, he gestured to one of the medical beds and began rummaging through the supply cabinet for the desired medicine.

Hyperia hopped up and leaned back on her hands with a devilish grin, “So, you need me up here just to give me something for this headache….or were you planning on giving me a more….thorough exam?”

For once, he seemed completely unfazed by her flirting, as he turned to lay a medicinal patch and portable scanner upon the bedside table before reaching up to gently probe around her neck with his fingertips. “I want to make sure Baras didn’t cause you any serious damage.”

“I didn’t know you were a doctor as well, Quinn”, she sat still as he withdrew his hands and took the scanner to run over her head and neck.

“I’m not. But I do have battlefield medical training.” Skimming over the readout on the scanner, he nodded approvingly. “You appear to be relatively undamaged….aside from a rather wicked hangover.” He peeled the backing from the medicinal patch and applied it gently to the back of her neck, causing a slight shiver to run up her spine. “This should help. I suggest that you cut back on the liquor and definitely avoid annoying any more Sith Lords, especially Baras.”

 She reached up to self-consciously rub at the patch and chuckled, “Yes, it seems that both are very bad for my health.”

He turned his back to replace the scanner in the cabinet, the worried scowl on his face concealed from her, “I don’t know what you were thinking, speaking to him like that. He could have killed you.”

“Yes, I know, Vette has already mother-henned me about that. I doubt he would have. I’m still ‘useful’ to him. And Baras rarely ever throws away anything useful….” She trailed off, suddenly realizing what she just said. _Baras had no problem throwing away two loyal agents, not because they stopped being useful, but because they were a hindrance to him. I’m an idiot if I think he wouldn’t do the same to me at a whim._

“You know better than that!” She was surprised to hear his voice raised, but he kept his back turned to her, so she could feel, rather than see the anger, frustration, and concern he was trying to unsuccessfully conceal. “Do you think this is all just a game? That you can just play around without consequences?”

He was so close to breaking…to telling her how he was caught between serving Baras and her, how it had taken every ounce of willpower for him not to rush to her side as Baras was punishing her, how it was his fault that Baras was shortening her leash…but he couldn’t. Not now…he couldn’t risk Baras’ wrath…not until she was strong enough to take him down.

She could not help but wonder what he was referring to more: her actions towards Baras…or towards him. She had not realized he felt so strongly one way or the other, he kept his emotions so tightly bottled most of the time. For a long moment, she just sat mutely on the edge of the bed, not knowing what to say…his outburst took her completely by surprise.

“Hey guys! We’re here!” Vette’s voice echoed from the cockpit.

“I should make sure she can handle the docking protocols”, Quinn muttered as he swept from the medbay without another word.

Hyperia sighed, shook her head and jumped down from the bed. “Vette! You’re coming with me.” She honestly didn’t feel like dealing with Quinn’s mood at the moment. She couldn’t decide if she should apologize for worrying him….for it was obvious that he had been worried…or be angry with him for speaking to her in such a way. So, she opted to forego dealing with it for the time being. Perhaps once they returned from the station, either his mood will have improved or she would decide how to handle it.

\-----------------------------

Hyperia was in a mood by the time she boarded the station with Vette. Thankfully, there were plenty of Republic soldiers barring their way to the main control room who were apparently more than eager to fall to her lightsabers. Cutting them down felt good and since her headache had finally faded, she felt quite invigorated by the time they strode in through the control room entryway.

Dominating the room was a large holodisplay which was currently projecting the larger-than-life image of a bearded Jedi who was speaking quietly to a nervous technician.

“What seems to be the trouble, Hirosho? Why are you so concerned?” The Jedi spoke with the implacable calm that had always worn on Hyperia’s nerves. _They call themselves ‘calm’, ‘serene’, and ‘at peace’, but they are just hypocrites trying to stifle their true emotions._

“Master Karr, you promised we would be undetected, but that ship you had us tracking…it’s here!” She could feel the waves of fear roiling off the slender man as she approached silently behind him.

“Calm your fears, Hirosho. They will not serve you. I will speak to your visitor when they arrive….”

A smirk tugged at her lips as she stepped into view of the holo, the technician jumping startled at her sudden appearance, “Don’t lie to the man, Jedi. The fear I inspire might prompt him to save his life and run.”

The technician’s eyes went wide as he stammered, “You didn’t tell us we were tracking a Sith!”

Karr’s voice never wavered from its calm monotone, “You were provided the details necessary to perform your duties. Now please, remain quiet.”

Hyperia shook her head as she studied this Jedi Master that had apparently caused Baras so much trouble. _They’re like two sides of the same coin. Both using people to fulfil an objective while keeping them in the dark…and justifying it to themselves. At least Baras is honest about that….this Jedi would no doubt be highly offended if it was implied that he had something in common with a Sith Lord._ A devious smile creeped onto her lips as the Jedi continued.

“Sith, I assume you are Darth Baras’ new apprentice. I am Jedi Master Nomen Karr. Do you know me?”

She almost laughed at his question. _Such arrogance…he wants to make sure that I know of him and his reputation with my Master._ “Perhaps. All you Jedi look alike to me – usually soon-to-be deceased. I can assume you are Nomen Karr, the one who has nothing better to do than to sniff around at my Master’s heels like a little Akk puppy.”

“Your Master and I both keep tabs on each other. So when I heard he had a new apprentice, naturally I investigated.” His voice trailed off for a moment as he noticed that Hyperia had pinned the technician with her golden eyes as he had tried to quietly slip away. “These men were merely following orders…monitoring the equipment. There is no need for bloodshed.”

Hyperia allowed her gaze to bore into the frightened Hirosho for a moment longer, “Perhaps you should not have kept them ignorant and prepared them for what they could face, Jedi. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about this happening.” With a swift motion, she lifted two of the technicians from the floor, slowly squeezing the breath from them. Surprisingly, Hirosho maintained enough composure to draw a small pistol on her, though his hands shook uncontrollably. Chuckling, she fling the two men aside and closed the distance to him, but even as she thrust the lightsaber through his chest, she heard the crack of the gun snap off one shot and felt a searing pain rip through her left shoulder.

She hissed in pain as she hurled the man’s body away. “What an…excessive display. Those men were defenseless”, Karr intoned regretfully, though she could hear a faint hint of smug victory in his voice.  

“Yes they were, because you failed to give them the information and the weapons they needed to defend themselves from me. Their deaths are on _your_ head, Jedi”, she snarled through gritted teeth.

“You cannot deflect responsibility of this, Sith. Now you have given me new resolve towards thwarting you and your Master. You have no idea what you are up against.”

“We know all about your little padawan, Karr. She’s leading you on a witch hunt so you can pursue your vendetta against my Master.” Hyperia forced back the pain to the back corners of her mind and fixed the Jedi with an insolent stare.

He sighed, shaking his head, “So you know about her. But I know that you and Baras are just feeling your way in the dark because I have ensured that her identity and location remain a secret. You will not harm her.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Jedi. There are no secrets safe with my Master. We will find her…and I will kill her.” With that, she thrust her lightsaber through the holo console, cutting the transmission.

As the Jedi’s image flickered from view, she finally allowed herself to sag against the console, groaning in pain. “Damn, wretched little man….”, she kicked Hiroshi’s corpse savagely, barely able to stifle a yelp of pain as the motion jarred her wounded shoulder.

“Whoa…I think he’s dead already!”, Vette piped up from beside her. “Let’s get you back to the ship. That doesn’t look good.”

Hyperia glanced down at the wound and winced. It looked as bad as it felt: the armor was melted into the ragged cauterized hole lined with smoking and burnt fabric. “Yes, let’s get out of this place.” With that, the two women made their way slowly back to the airlock…only to be met by a cadre of Republic troops.

“Oh great….” Vette groaned, echoing Hyperia’s own thoughts.

The obvious leader stepped forward, a rather large vibrosword in his hands, “Sorry Sith, but Master Karr will not let you leave here alive.”

“Thankfully, I don’t care about what he will ‘let’ me do”, she snarled in response, drawing her lightsabers as she let the pain fuel her rage.

She and Vette made short work of the soldiers, though by the time the last man fell, Hyperia was looking rather pale and shaken. “Okay, we really need to get you to the medbay…like right now.” Vette took her good arm and supported her as they returned to the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending. I packed a lot into this already and if I kept going, it would be insanely long. So, I'm trying to keep each chapter relatively bite-sized...or at least healthy-portion-sized. So....to be continued in the next chapter...and onward to Tatooine!  
> My writing mojo is beginning to slow down just a little....getting my first negative comment didn't help either. :-( But I'm going to keep playing, so I can hopefully keep getting inspired...and keep on writing. I still have got plenty of ideas already cooked up for Alderaan, the Quinncident and more....it's just a matter of filling in the blanks in between with enough interesting goodies to keep my readers glued to my page. ;-)


	10. Pain, Guilt and Lies (interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wear guilt  
> Like shackles on your feet  
> Like a halo in reverse  
> I can feel  
> The discomfort in your seat  
> And in your head it's worse
> 
> There's a pain  
> A famine in your heart  
> An aching to be free  
> \--"Halo" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Pure head-canon...."Doctor" Quinn to the rescue, awkward discussions, and painful lies...

“Quinn! Get in here! She’s hurt!” Vette called out as she led Hyperia into the medbay, the Sith’s features pinched with barely-restrained agony.

He ran into the medbay just in time to see her sag against the bed that she had just sat on hours before. Together, he and Vette aided her in sitting, Quinn’s eyes drifting to her wound. He was honestly surprised that she was still conscious, judging from its severity. The blaster bolt had torn its way completely through her shoulder, leaving the melted laminoid of her armor to fuse with the silk shirt and flesh beneath.

He left Vette to steady her while he procured a hypospray of Symoxen from the nearby cabinet. Seeing that she was still awake, he leaned over to meet her eyes, checking for signs of shock while he addressed her, “My Lord, we need to get your armor off, but it’s going to take some effort since it is fused to your wound. I’m going to give you a local anesthetic to numb the area and I need you to stay conscious and upright if you can.”

Taking a few deep breaths as she closed her eyes and sank into the Force to fight back the pain, she nodded, “I am ready.” She felt the cooling mist of the anesthetic as it entered the wound, then heard Quinn address Vette.

“I need you to carefully start removing her armor. When we get to this arm, I’m going to need to cut away the laminoid and fabric that is fused to the wound or else it will tear open. So go slow.”

“Gotcha boss.” Hyperia almost smiled to hear honest respect in Vette’s voice towards the Imperial she had endlessly needled since he came on board. She felt tugging, then the quiet hum of a sonic scalpel, then a lightness as her armor was removed.

“You can lie down now”, she felt a hand on her back, gently supporting her as she laid back on the bed, then slowly opened her eyes to see Quinn hovering over her, his gaze assessing the burnt and bleeding crater in her shoulder. Leaning in the doorway, Vette stood with her arms crossed, but worry evident in her eyes.

“Vette, can you go check on the diagnostics I was running on the hyperdrive? They should be about done by now,” Quinn asked as he carefully started cutting the charred bits of fabric from around the wound.

“No problem. I’ll give you two some time alone now that you’ve almost got her clothes off”, Vette tossed over her shoulder teasingly, eliciting an annoyed growl from him.

“Do you two ever let up?” He grumbled as he began carefully sterilizing the ragged edges of the wound. “If it’s not one of you, it’s the other.”

Her brows raised in faint surprise, “I didn’t realize it bothered you that much, Quinn. We’re just teasing…and you have to realize that you’re a quite handsome, fairly young, single man on a ship with a couple of women…one of whom just happens to be a Sith. And, I’m sure you’re quite aware that passion is in the first line of our Code. So….all things considered, I think I at least have shown remarkable restraint. There are Sith out there who would not take “no” for an answer and just make you their plaything, regardless of how you felt about it.”

“Trust me, I am aware of how it could be. And I am grateful that you are not the type to…indulge in such a thing. It’s just…” He trailed off, trying to find the right words, while concentrating on patching up her injury. “…during most of my career, I focused on my job to the exclusion of almost everything else. I never had any real need to partake in the various recreations that my fellows did. Serving the Empire to the best of my ability was always my primary goal. But then you came along and….”

Again he trailed off, masking his hesitation by gently patting her on her arm, “Can you roll over please? I need to take care of the back of this.”

Acquiescing, she carefully rolled onto her stomach, trying not to jostle her injured shoulder overly much. Once again, she heard the hum of the scalpel as he began cutting away the fabric that surrounded the blaster hole. “I came along and….turned your orderly little world upside down?”

“Something like that”, he admitted grudgingly. “You are my commander and I wish to keep a distance of professionalism, but then you do or say something…completely…inappropriate. Or Vette does. You keep me…off-balance. And I am not used to that.”

“Is it negatively affecting your work?” She could not help but ask since she knew that he would never put up with anything that diminished his efficiency.

“I….no, not at this time”, he was thankful that she was turned away from him so that she could not see the flush that rose up his neck at the bald-faced falsehood. Because of her, he was lying to Baras…or at least not giving him the complete intel he would have desired. If she had been….well, anyone else…his loyalty would still be completely with Baras and he would never feel a twinge of guilt over the secret reports he had to send.

“Good. Your efficiency and professionalism are what make you who you are and I would not wish to jeopardize that.” She let out a soft hiss as he finished sterilizing the edges of the gaping wound and applied a large synthflesh patch to cover it.

“I apologize, my Lord. The anesthetic is beginning to wear off, but I am almost finished. If it becomes too painful, I can give you another shot of it.” He was rather surprised at her words. He had always had the impression that his “stuffiness”, as Vette liked to call it, frustrated and annoyed her.

“I’ll be fine”, she said taking a long, deep breath, letting the pain focus her senses.

“I need you to roll over one more time”, he said, gently guiding her around to lie once more on her back. He had to swallow and avert his eyes as the remnant of fabric left of her undershirt slipped down slightly, exposing a few more inches of skin just above her breast. “I’m almost done”, he said…more to himself than to her.

He took a large syringe filled with a pale greenish gel and began slowly injecting it into the gaping hole, eliciting another long, ragged hiss of pain from between her gritted teeth. “That’s just the bacta gel…it will feel better in a few seconds as it begins to heal.”

Silently she nodded a response, her breath slowing as the pain began to subside. Quinn took a second synthflesh patch and used it to seal the wound before stepping away to clean up the used tools and trash. “You should get some rest and let that heal before we head to our next destination.”

She winced as she slowly tried to leverage herself up from the bed, “I need to update Baras.”

“I can do that, if you wish, my Lord. I was not present, but I’m sure that Vette can fill me in”, _And thankfully, I won’t have anything interesting to impart to him since I wasn’t even there._

She eyed him for a long moment, then nodded. She felt something was bothering him, but she could not determine what it was. Perhaps that she hadn’t allowed him to accompany her after his outburst? “Very well. There is not much to tell anyway. We went, we killed Pubs, we talked to Nomen Karr on the holo, he postured like all Jedi do, made threats, and I got shot by some weasely little tech with a shaky gun hand. Or actually, don’t tell him that part. I got shot by….a specially-trained Republic marksman, while fighting off a battalion of Spec Ops troops.”

She cautiously probed the synthflesh patch and nodded approvingly, “You did a good job, Quinn. Thank you.”

“It is no problem, my L—“, his words were abruptly cut off as she reached up with her good hand to grab the front of his uniform and pull him down into an ardent kiss.

 _By the Emperor, what is she…?! I can’t…._ It took every ounce of willpower to pull himself away from her, his eyes wide and hands shaking. “My Lord, I… this is improper…we shouldn’t….”

“Hmmm…” She fixed her gaze upon him, thoughtfully worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “You’re probably right. In my current condition….I wouldn’t want to reopen my wound. And I need rest, after all.” An impish smile danced on her lips as she laid back on the bed. “To be continued, Captain. Dismissed.”

Quinn quickly spun on his heel and exited the medbay, the door sliding closed behind him, and almost ran right into Vette who was lounging against the holoterminal, a datapad in her hand. “I’ve got your diagnostic results”, her lips fighting against a smile as she handed the datapad to him.

 _Oh stars….she saw us…._ Avoiding the twi’lek’s gaze and trying desperately to fight back the flush slowly creeping up his neck, he took the datapad from her with a muttered, “Thank you”, and strode quickly to his quarters to make his report to Baras…and hopefully not die of sheer embarrassment.

\---------------------

Twenty minutes later, it was not embarrassment he was worried about dying from as he felt tendrils of the Force start tightening about his throat. “I – I apol—ogize, my L—lord. I assu—med…”

“Do not assume anything with me, Captain”, Darth Baras’ holo image growled impatiently. “Especially do not assume that I want to hear a third-hand account about my apprentice’s activities. I am disappointed that she chose to take the twi’lek with her on such an important mission. Why did she not choose you?”

Quinn felt the force grip lessen and coughed, trying to form words, “I do not know, my Lord. She did not give her reasons.” He paused, debating on whether to tell Baras the truth, then took another breath, trying to restore some measure of oxygen to his lungs, and continued, “Perhaps she was upset that I berated her for disrespecting you.”

“Oh? Interesting…” The Sith Lord seemed to ponder this for a few moments as Quinn caught his breath again. “Did she have a response to your lecturing?”

“No, my Lord. She just turned away and ordered Vette to accompany her without another word to me.” He hated giving Baras even this much information, but he had little choice and, hopefully, there was little that Baras could glean from the encounter.

“In your opinion, do you believe that she has some sort of feelings for you?”

The question took Quinn by surprise and, for a moment, he was rendered speechless, “My Lord? What….?”

“Do not be obtuse, Captain. Any other Sith would have punished you for your insolence, but she chose not to…she chose to not even engage at all in response. Why do you think that might be?” Baras’ gaze bore into him through the mask and Quinn could barely restrain a shiver from rolling down his spine.

“I…perhaps she considered leaving me on the ship as punishment enough. She can be very…unpredictable at times. So I cannot ascertain her true motives in that. I am sorry, my Lord.” He bowed his head, hoping that the flush that was rapidly rising from his collar could not be seen through the holo.

“She seemed rather fascinated with you on Balmorra. Of course, that was one of my many reasons for assigning you to her. Her interest in you will prompt her to be more open around you than any other.” Baras paused for a moment and, once again, Quinn felt like he was being sized up by a particularly nasty interrogation droid. “I can feel your discomfort, Captain. She has expressed feelings for you, hasn’t she?”

Quinn swallowed, shaking his head, “Not specifically, no, my Lord. She occasionally flirts or teases, but I have seen no sign of it being anything more than an amusing….diversion for her.”

“I see….” Baras seemed to ponder this for a moment before waving a dismissive hand. “It is of no concern, presently. Continue as you have been. You do not foresee issues in accompanying her to Tatooine, I hope?”

Shaking his head, he tried to purge the feel of her lips against his from his memory, “No, my Lord. I am quite sure she will request my presence.”

“Good. Have her contact me as soon as she is able after you arrive.”

“Yes, my Lord.” With that, the image faded from the commlink, and Quinn exited his quarters to make his way to the cockpit and plot a course for Tatooine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a quick little bit of head-canon to segue into arriving at Tatooine...that just spiraled out of my control and onto the screen. More to follow in next chapter before more continuation of the storyline. In case no one has noticed yet, I absolutely LOVE digging around in Quinn's brain. He's such a complex character to me with so much left unsaid and unexplored in the game itself. Filling in the blanks and exploring what I think could have been going on unseen in the background is really what I love writing the most.


	11. Sands of Fire (Tatooine Pt1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I dream of rain  
> I dream of gardens in the desert sand  
> I wake in pain  
> I dream of love as time runs through my hand  
> I dream of fire  
> These dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire  
> And in the flames  
> Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire  
> "Desert Rose" by Sting/Cheb Mami
> 
> Tatooine! Along with some head-canon and a tiny bit of fluff.

“Veeetttee!”, Hyperia’s voice called out from her quarters, “What were you thinking?!”

Vette cautiously peered through the doorway, her brown eyes widening as Hyperia placed her hands on her hips and glared at her as only a Sith Lord could. “What? I think it looks great on you!”

Hyperia gestured to the silken outfit clinging to her body, “How am I supposed to even fight in this?! The first time I swing my saber, I’m going to….give someone a show!”

The twi’lek had to admit that she was probably right. The clothes she had picked out for her in Nar Shaddaa were more suited for a night out at the club than fighting Jedi. The top was of a luxurious black silk, but little more than a wide rectangle of fabric with a neckhole and collar that barely covered her chest, the front tucking into the pants and the back draping down to her knees. The pants were of the same fabric with a wide slit cut in one leg. “Hey, you’re going to fight a Jedi! Maybe you’ll distract him!” It sounded lame even to Vette’s ears and she cringed as Hyperia fixed her with another glare.

“You’re kidding right? From what Baras said, this guy is probably 90 years old and a renowned Jedi Master. I doubt that flashing my breasts at him will distract him.” The red-haired Sith growled irritably as she began rummaging through the storage locker on the wall. “I need something to wear while we’re on Tatooine until my armor is repaired.”

“You wouldn’t want to wear that anyway”, Vette gestured to the damaged armor lying on the bed, the charred and melted hole marring the shoulder piece. “You’d boil alive down on Tatooine in all that heavy black.”

“I will find something. Now shoo!” She gestured Vette out of the room.

\---------------

_Parry, turn, thrust…_

_Lunge, block, parry, sidestep, lunge…_

_Cross block, slash, spin, lunge…_

Twin sabers of crimson cut through the air, their humming echoing through the cargo bay, as Hyperia went through the katas of the Ataru form with a silent fluidity. Her eyes remained closed, her senses reaching out with the Force to feel the darting movements of the orb-shaped training droid that hovered nearby. It spat out a rapid-fire series of low-powered laser bolts, each deftly deflected by her spiraling blades. A satisfied smile curved her lips…even as her senses touched a new presence approaching.

“ _Qorit_ ”, she ordered the droid, powering it down as she turned to the doorway, her eyes opening to settle on Quinn as she caught her breath.

“My apologies for the interruption, my Lord, but I wanted to let you know that we are on approach to Tatooine.” He kept his gaze carefully averted from her as not to stare too overly-long at her sweat-sheened skin. She had shed the now-useless undershirt that he had been forced to ruin in the course of mending her wound, replacing it with a simple sleeveless hooded cropped top of black and red that seemed to serve little more than to preserve some small modicum of modesty.

“Good”, she grabbed a towel to wipe away the excess perspiration and headed for the door, pausing as he began to step aside for her. “I know I already said it once, but thank you….you did a good job on my shoulder. It’s not even sore anymore.”

“I am glad to hear it, my Lord”, he couldn’t help but swallow nervously as she passed within a hands-breadth of him. _She’s not going to try to kiss me again, I hope. This is already awkward enough._ Though he had to admit that a small part of him would not have complained if she did.

Seconds stretched on and he could feel her gaze upon him, her features fixed in a sort of thoughtful scowl, “When we get a chance, I want you to train with me.”

He blinked in puzzlement, his gaze snapping up to her in confusion, “My Lord? But I don’t…”

She held up a hand to silence him, “Training droids are fine, but nothing like fighting an actual person. I need…unpredictability. We’ll be using stun guns and vibroswords…so we don’t accidentally kill each other.” She chuckled, “It would be a waste to lose my right-hand man to a ‘training accident’.”

“My Lord…if it is what you wish, then I would be honored.”

“Of course you are”, she replied teasingly as she slipped past him and down the hallway, “What other Imperial can say that they’ve actually had a Sith ask them to shoot at them? And lived to tell the tale?”

\---------------------------

“Ugh….you were right, Vette: this place is like a blast furnace”, Hyperia groaned as the trio stepped from the spaceport into the sweltering Tatooine suns.

“Yeah. I know I said I wanted sun and sand, but I kind of wanted some water to go with it. A beach, you know?” The twi’lek responded, her arms wrapped around a large black bundle. “So, I’ll go find some place to get this fixed up. And….Captain Sunburn needs new ring stabilizers.”

Hyperia chuckled and Quinn rolled his eyes at this new nickname, as Vette shrugged, “I mean look at him. That pretty pale skin is going to start glowing as red as the crazy lighting in the Sith Temple in less than an hour out here!”

Quinn scowled, obviously offended at the twi’leks ribbing, “I _did_ use sunscreen. I am not an idiot. And to answer your question, yes. Make sure they are Mark 5 models…and new. I don’t doubt that in this place, there are plenty who would try to sell you scavenged parts.”

“Hey, this isn’t my first time bargaining with shady locals, you know. I’ll get you what you need. Have fun killing Jedi and boiling alive!” She chirped cheerfully as she made her way down the main avenue.

“Well, let’s go find this crazy old hermit that Baras’ equally-crazy contact is sending us to.” Hyperia said as she started down the avenue as well. “This whole planet is full of crazy, it seems. But I guess you’d have to be crazy to live here.”

“Or horribly unlucky”, Quinn interjected, “Any time I thought of my misfortune at being exiled to Balmorra, I had to remind myself that I could have just as easily ended up here….or Hoth. To be stationed here is considered the ultimate punishment.”

“I can imagine, just being sent here for one mission seems punishment enough. I can only hope that we will find this Master Yonlach quickly so we can leave this inferno.” Even as she spoke the words, she realized that she probably cursed them to a long, involved mission…not dissimilar to all of their previous ones.

\--------------------------------------

Hyperia tried hard to stifle a yawn as the old man spoke. He had one of those voices that reminded her of some of the Jedi teachers at Coruscant: slow, droning, and dull. It didn’t help that he talked in cryptic riddles. Thankfully, their contact, Sharack Breev, managed to keep the old man focused enough to give them some sketchy details about a Sand Demon and the Demon’s Blood ritual that would apparently need to be performed in order to discover the location of the Jedi Master. It all sounded like some sort of insane children’s tale and she couldn’t help but briefly wonder if perhaps Baras gained some sort of twisted amusement in sending them on the most circuitous route possible to complete his tasks.

“Ugh…I hope you brought a large supply of those analgesic patches, Quinn, because this place is already giving me a headache”, she groaned as they left the old man’s hut. “We have to go out into the desert, find this ‘sand demon’ and ‘bathe’ in its blood without killing it? All because some old man who has probably spent far too much time out in the suns spouted some fairy story about ancient Jedi and there’s a chance that this mysterious padawan _might_ have performed this ritual to find Master Yonlach.”

“It seems that way, my Lord”, he replied, passing her one of the medicine patches as they walked back to their speeder. “At least once we are done here, we will be moving on to Alderaan, where the climate will not be as harsh.”

“The climate there is just as harsh…it’s just the political climate, not the weather. I am dreading going there almost as much as here.” Her demeanor turned thoughtfully inward for a moment, rousing Quinn’s curiosity, before she shook off her musing and throttled the speeder towards the coordinates of the sand demon lair.

\-----------------------------

When she had heard the thing described as a “sand demon”, Hyperia had assumed it would be a rather ferocious-appearing beast. However, she was almost disappointed to find that it was an almost-comical insectoid sort of creature with twin eyestalks and a tiny fang-filled mouth. Admittedly, it was quite large….towering over them at around 3 meters tall…and she had no doubt that it probably had earned its title by devouring more than a few of the natives.

It made its home in a vast cavern, shared with a few packs of aggressive wraids. The muscular reptilians gave the sand demon a wide berth, further confirming her theory that the thing was probably more fearsome that it appeared.

Quinn spoke up then, interposing into her musings, “My Lord, I have been deliberating on how we might approach this. I am not sure what the padawan could have done to avoid a physical confrontation with the demon. Perhaps Jedi mind manipulation of some sort?”

“It is possible”, she had also assumed that might have been the case. “It seems if a mere girl, barely nascent in the Force could manage to quell the beast, then I have no doubt we can manage it somehow.”

“But I am still puzzled over how she could have ‘bathed’ in its blood without injuring it”, Quinn’s voice trailed off as the beast swiveled its eyestalks towards them, fixing the pair with a baleful glare and hissing threateningly. “It seems it has caught our scent.”

“Good….I have an idea”, dampening the slight fear she felt as she approached the beast, she met its gaze, stopping only a few feet before it. She could feel Quinn’s worry escalate, but even he forced it back to stand ready at her side.

“I do not fear you, beast”, she spoke with conviction, holding the monster’s gaze steadily. “Submit to me.” The creature hesitated…even if it could not understand her words, her fearless and authoritative tone apparently touched something in its primitive brain.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself…for this would be the moment of truth…she turned her back upon the monster dismissively and released a sigh of relief when the anticipated attack did not come. Turning back to the beast, she met its eyes again. It bowed its misshapen head, then promptly collapsed.

“Is it…sleeping?” Quinn enquired in amazement. “How did y—?” his voice trailed off as the sand demon’s body suddenly twitched, then began oozing blood from every pore of its body. “Remarkable! The thing seems to have entered some form of hibernation and shed its skin.”

Indeed, the creature’s body seemed to be covered in a glistening gel that slowly slid off to mingle with the blood, mixing to form an incredibly putrid-smelling sludge. “Ugh…what a smell!” Hyperia could barely contain herself from retching, her eyes watering profusely as she knelt to dip her hands into the malodorous discharge. With one gloved hand, she streaked the blood across her bare abdomen, then turned to Quinn who had an almost-fearful look in his eyes.

“My Lord, is it really necessary….?”

“Yes. I don’t want these ‘desert savages’ turning on you because you haven’t properly performed the ritual.” She eyed him for a moment before dragging her fingers along his jaw and neck, leaving lines of scarlet across his pale skin.

He coughed and attempted not to gag, “My Lord did you have to---“

She cut him off with a wave of her hand, “…Put it on your face? Yes. I have to assume that these creatures are going to want to see as well as smell the blood. And since every other bit of you is covered up….” She shrugged, though not without a playful smirk as she studied him, “I kind of like it. You look more like a ‘desert savage’ yourself now.”

“I do hope that turns out not be the extent of the purpose of enduring this”, he replied, nose wrinkling at the stench. “Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s get this over with”, she said as she pulled off the soiled gloves, turned them inside-out and hooked them on her belt as she led them from the cave.

\------------------------------

“Might I ask you something, my Lord?”, Quinn began as they exited the Sand People’s cave. Thusfar, this had been the simplest task. The Sand People had all fled at their presence…no doubt seeing and smelling the demon’s blood upon them….except one. Obviously, some sort of shaman, the creature bowed before them and imparted a scroll before fleeing as well. Sharack Breev declared it to be a sort of map and gave them the coordinates to what was designated as an oasis.

“What is it, Captain?” she replied, silently hoping that it would be a true oasis…with water. She felt utterly desiccated from the unrelenting heat, not to mention completely filthy from the sand, sweat, and blood.

“How did you manage to quell the beast? I admit that I have no sensitivity to the Force, nor know much about its ways, but it seemed as though you did not need to use it at all.”

“It is an old trick I learned when I was a child. I had a friend whose family bred akk dogs as pets. They taught me that, when it comes to wild creatures like that, you have to stand up to them and show no fear….show them that you are the master, without being threatening. If you let your guard down or are overly-aggressive, they will not respect you and will attack.” She shrugged as they climbed into the speeder, “I will admit that I reinforced it only the slightest with the Force; I did not want the creature to perceive it as an attack, but most of it was just attitude and bearing.”

“I see…interesting”, his voice trailed off as he engaged the engine and propelled the speeder to their next destination.

\----------------------------------------

Water….she could smell it as soon as they entered the shadows of the cave from the arid desert. It took every ounce of willpower not to run towards the wonderful moistness she could feel wafting from the depths of the cavern.

As the entered the central chamber of the cavern, a large pool of sparkling green water dominated its expanse and, within its depths, a shimmering light began to grow. Even as she stepped to the shore, the water lapping at her boots, the light coalesced into a humanoid form and approached the pair, lightly walking on the water as though it was earth. As it drew near, it became obvious that the light had taken on her form….becoming an identical twin bathed in radiance. She felt…something…tug at her mind and shook her head to clear it. Then a voice…her voice, but without the carefully-cultivated Imperial accent she had slowly mastered over the years…echoed through the chamber…

_You have lost your way, Dark One. I am here to return you to your course…. I am the embodiment of your true potential if you only overcome your fear and walk in the Light._

“Ridiculous, you are not me. I would never go back to that…if you were truly me, you would know that”, she scoffed, reaching out with the Force to probe the apparition.

_I shall prove it. We seek Nomen Karr’s padawan….who can see into the true nature of anyone. Our Master, Darth Baras fears this girl will bring down his network of spies and cause his demise._

Hyperia fixed her ethereal self with a harsh glare as her senses only felt Light and serenity emanating from the imposter, “That only proves that you are able to read my mind. Not that you are actually me. What do you want?”

_I am here to save you. If you persist down this path, your life will be consumed by paranoia and fear. Betrayal will wait around every corner. You will never know who to trust._

“Trust is an illusion. I do not live in some sort of fantasy world”, she knew all too well that being a Sith came with the disadvantage of always having to watch her back. Trust was something that she knew would never be a part of her world.

_To someone who lives in darkness, it would seem so. The Dark Side seeks to subjugate the Force. It treats the Force as something to be subjugated and mastered. When you embrace the Light, you meld with the Force…become one with it. Only then can you know true peace and clarity._

Hyperia could not help but to roll her eyes at this, _This…thing…must have read my memories of Mashellon. It sounds just like her._ “Ridiculous. You sound like one of those fool Jedi. And I have had more than my fill of their preposterous teachings.”

_Why scoff, Dark One? Just look to our Master. If Darth Baras is so powerful, why is he so frightened of a mere girl? She is a merely budding champion of the Light…and yet she still strikes fear into a powerful Dark Side Master._

“I will not be swayed by your foolish manipulations, creature. Either aid me in my search or begone!” Hyperia gestured dismissively to the apparition, then felt a ripple of the Force emanate from it.

_If you refuse the Light, you must strike me down. Do you have it in you to kill part of yourself?_

“You are not me. And no, I will have no issue with silencing your prattling, creature”, even as she spoke, she drew her lightsabers, the apparition mirroring her perfectly.

_Come then….take me on and know that you can never destroy the Light within you._

The twin Hyperias fought almost as one, each mirroring the other’s movements with an uncanny precision. Quinn had thought to aid his Lord in this battle, but when his initial stun dart flew straight through the ethereal twin to land, sizzling, in the water, he realized that this battle was hers alone to fight and he was forced to merely watch and wait.

It took every ounce of Hyperia’s cunning and skill to try to outmaneuver her “twin”. She was beginning to believe that this truly was a part of her, for it knew every attack, every ability, and every trick that she did and could counter it with ease. The duel seemed to rage on for an eternity before she surprised her twin with a move she had not tried before, and felt immense satisfaction as her lightsabers both slid effortlessly through the apparition.

The glowing figure sank to one knee, slowly transforming to a swirling mass of darkness, shot through with crimson tendrils….it’s voice once more sounded as her own, whispering as it wafted to her, embracing her in its mass, _You have proven that your way is strong and viable. And so a vision of our destination is offered…._

She felt her body shiver as the creature melded with her and fell to one knee as flashes of insight swam in her vision. _A hut…in the desert….past the Forbidden Pass….there you will find who you seek…._

Shaking her head to clear it, she shakily rose to her feet, sensing Quinn at her side, radiating concern. “My Lord…are you alright? Did you….?”

“I had a vision…of our goal. The Jedi lives beyond a place called the Forbidden Pass.” Even as the words left her lips, Sharack Breev’s voice piped up from behind them.

“Did you say the Forbidden Pass?!” The woman’s voice was filled with awe and fear.

“Yes, what of it? I assume by the ominous name that it is not a pleasant place”, her words dripped with disdain as she fixed the woman in a narrow-eyed gaze. She was not thrilled to know that they had been spied upon.

“The desert beyond the Forbidden Pass is an area that no one can survive…. _no one_. Even the Sand People fear to go there. You mustn’t go there!” Her voice raised in pitch, approaching hysteria.

“You are wrong….I _must_ go there.” She intended to continue, but the woman interrupted her again, raising her ire.

“You don’t understand! This isn’t some silly superstition. Those who go beyond the Forbidden Pass are never heard from again! If you go, then I cannot follow!”

At this point, Hyperia wished nothing more than for the irritating woman to leave, “Good! I do not need some foolish coward of a girl following me around anyway!”

Sharack winced as though the words had caused her physical harm, “How that word burns me. I shall give you the location of the Forbidden Pass, then I shall update Darth Baras on your…intention. I doubt that I will ever see you again. Goodbye.” She then turned and walked from the cave, her spirit clearly broken.

Hyperia rolled her eyes in disgust, “I am finally glad to be rid of her and her irrational nonsense.”

“So, to the Forbidden Pass and Master Yonlach, then we leave this overheated sandbox, my Lord?”

She could not help but smile at the faintly hopeful tone in his voice. “Yes…but first….it would be a shame to let all this water go to waste. I’m not meeting a Jedi Master looking like I’ve been rolling in muck for the past 3 days.” Her nose wrinkled as she indicated the dried blood, sweat and sand caked upon her. “And I’m sure you’ll be happy to get that off”, her chin tilted to the dried blood still streaked and cracking upon his face.

“You assume correctly, my L—“, his voice trailed off as she began hastily stripping off her boots and lightsaber belt, then ran to the edge and leapt into the water with a loud splash.

She dove under for a moment, then surfaced, a rare grin lighting up her face, “By the Emperor, this feels wonderful! You should come in!”

“I think I’ll be fine here, my Lord”, he replied, fighting off a smile of his own. He had not ever seen her act with so much…enthusiasm. Even when she was teasing him, there was still a certain reserve about her. He knelt by the water and started scrubbing the blood from his face, fighting back the impulse to gag as the water renewed the horrible stench of it.

As focused as he was, he failed to notice the wicked smile creeping over her lips as she watched him, and was taken completely off-guard as he suddenly felt something pull him sharply into the water. He had barely a split second to release a startled yelp before finding himself laid out face-down in the shallows.

Muffled laughter filled his ears as he pushed himself up and fixed her with an annoyed scowl, the entire front of his uniform now soaking wet and his hair a sodden mess. “My Lord….you are incorrigible.” He leveraged himself back onto the shore and began pulling his boots off as he heard her amused reply.

“I know. You’re lucky. I was tempted to pull you all the way in…but I realized that I don’t even know if you can swim. It would be an ironic epitaph for you to drown on Tatooine.” She chuckled as she lazily floated in the sparkling pool, her auburn hair damply clinging to her face.

“I know how to swim. I just…prefer not to do so while in uniform.” Even as he spoke, he realized that he’d talked himself into another one of her devious psychological traps.

“Well, you know that problem can be easily solved…” She eyed him with a wicked sparkle in her eyes that he had grown all-too used to over the past months he had been in her service. It was indeed tempting to take her up on her offer, if for no other reason than the fact that he needed to let his uniform dry. But his mind started roaming to images of being in the pool, with her…her smile growing as she brushed against his bare skin…

Shaking his head to clear it of the vision that threatened to overtake him, he quickly leveraged himself upright. “Perhaps….some other time. We should begin making our way to our final goal.”

Throwing him a mock-pout, she swam back to the shore, her clothes clinging to her form, dripping as she emerged from the water, “Fine. I’ll hold you to that. Let’s go.” She grabbed her boots and sabers, and began making her way back to the entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this was one of the hardest chapters to write...solely because my writing mojo just up and evaporated like dew under the Tatooine suns for a few days. It didn't help that we were without power for all of Sunday, so I was forced to occupy myself in other ways besides writing. And, by the next day, I just could barely get sentences strung together. I finally managed to get this out today, though at a really, really slow rate. I really hope that I'm not getting totally tapped out, but since I have lots of ideas for Alderaan, I think once I get there, things will start flowing again.  
> I was going to do all of Tatooine in one chapter, but this ended up running really long, and I'm planning on doing some more dredging around in poor Quinn's skull for the last bit of it...so I'll save it for next chapter. Enjoy! :)
> 
> Oh, and for those currently playing the game, you might recognize Vette's gifted outfit to her as the Nightlife Socialite set. ;-) https://torf.mmo-fashion.com/nightlife-socialite/  
> Her Tatooine outfit is this:  
> 


	12. Followed By a Moonshadow (Tatooine Pt2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See ghost in the shadow  
> Living in the past feel cold  
> While trying to remember  
> Time is stealing my youth  
> Still trapped on the inside  
> Wearing regret skin tight  
> Like fire on the outside.  
> All gone nothing in view  
> Time is nothing when you've nothing to do.  
> Don't you know you can't hide something  
> When it's living in you  
> \--"Inside" by Gravity Kills
> 
> Musings under Tatooine moonlight (the foreshadowing is strong with this one) and Hyperia faces Master Yonlach...alone...

Hyperia was beginning to realize why it had been named “The Forbidden Pass”: she couldn’t imagine anyone ever actually wanting to come out this far into the desert. Even the Imperials at the outpost at the edge of the Dune Sea eyed them as though they had gone mad when they stopped to eat and restock on water and kolto. The soldiers were wise enough not to say anything besides apologizing for the simple rations, but she could feel their incredulity and skepticism clearly. At first she had not been certain if, perhaps, they had merely been fed the same superstitions that Sharack Breev ascribed to…but after a long day of enduring nothing but blazing heat and endless sand, she was beginning to believe that there might have been some truth to the tale.

Her original plan had been to travel straight to the Jedi Master’s hut, but the distance stretched on much farther than she had anticipated…and the endless heat sapped their energy like nothing else. So, in the interest of being fully-rested when the time came to face the Jedi, she opted to allow them a few hours respite in the shade of the bones of a long-dead krayt dragon, each taking a turn on watch as the other slept.

Hyperia reclined against the sand-worn spine of the ancient beast, watching the moons rise over the horizon. Once the suns had disappeared and day turned into night, the temperature actually dropped to a surprisingly-tolerable coolness. The temperature continued to fall as the hours passed, so she stood and began pacing over the shifting sands, rubbing her hands over her bare arms. _I didn’t think it could get so cold in a place like this_ , she mused silently, shivering. _If this was one of those hokey romance vids my mother used to watch, the handsome officer would come up behind me and offer his jacket, wrapping his arms around me to keep me warm._ Glancing back to Quinn’s slumbering form, she chuckled quietly to herself. _But this is no hokey romance vid, and this particular handsome officer would never think to do anything so ‘improper’._ Walking to the speeder, she retrieved one of the lightweight desert cloaks they had been given by the Imperial outpost quartermaster. She wrapped it around herself and leaned against the speeder to cast her gaze back to the moonlit dunes, mentally preparing herself for the encounter to come.

\------------------------

Quinn awoke in near-darkness at the touch of a cool breeze upon his face. For a moment, he felt a slight disorientation, _Is this Tatooine….?_ Then, as his vision cleared from the haze of sleep, he realized that they were indeed, still on the desert planet, but night had fallen while he slept. Raking a hand through his dark hair, he cast his gaze around to get his bearings. The silhouette of the massive beast’s ribs curved upward over their little camp, forming a dark contrast to the light of the three moons overhead. Nearby, he could see the outline of their speeder and a cloaked figure seated upon the hood that he assumed was Hyperia. Pushing to his feet, he brushed the sand from his uniform and approached her. She sat so still, he could have almost believed she was sleeping. But, once he drew up beside the speeder, she turned to him and smiled.

“Did you have a good rest, Captain?”

“Yes, thank you, my Lord. You could have wakened me sooner so that you could catch a few more hours of sleep yourself.”

She shook her head, closing her eyes as a brief gust of cool wind blew across the dunes, sending small puffs of sand and dust circling around the speeder, and ruffling her auburn hair. “I am done with sleeping…until we destroy this Jedi.” As the breeze dissipated, she opened her eyes and tossed him a crooked smile, “Besides, I’m rather enjoying not feeling like a nerf roast for the first time since we landed. It would be a shame to sleep through this.”

“You shall hear no disagreement from me about that, my Lord”. For a moment, he thought to suggest that they be on their way. It was force of habit to not want to stand idle long when there was a mission to fulfill. However, it was obvious that she was content to just sit and enjoy the cool night air for a while longer….and, he had to admit, he found it rather soothing as well. This far out in the desert, life was scarce, so aside from the rare call of some desert beast echoing in the distance and the whisper of the wind across the sand, it was remarkably quiet.

Minutes stretched on in silence until Hyperia’s voice whispered softly through the night air…so quietly, he almost thought that he had imagined it, “I wish this moment could last forever.”

It took him by surprise to hear her say it. She had never seemed to be one who craved peace, quiet, serenity…all the things the Jedi embodied. She had always seemed the most…alive in the thick of battle and in the heat of action. It was one of the, admittedly many, things he admired about her. She was always in motion….physically, mentally and emotionally.  To see this side of her…one who was at peace and desired to remain so was….strange. He even noted a hint of sadness in her words and couldn’t help but comment.

“My Lord….” He hesitated, trying to find the proper words to say without possibly offending her, “Are you having second thoughts about our task?”

Her golden eyes cut over to him, brows furrowed in confusion. For a moment, by the scowl forming on her lips, he feared that perhaps he _had_ offended her. But the expression faded as she turned her gaze back out to the desert expanse, “No. I am looking forward to it. I’m just….” She shook her head as though trying to clear her thoughts, “…getting weary of being tugged around on Baras’ leash. I know that is the way of things and it is not that I am chafing under his orders. Or maybe I am because his orders seem so….incongruous at times. It makes no sense to me why we must take such a circuitous route to every target….laying waste to everything and everyone around it before honing in on it. It seems such a waste of time and effort.” She turned back to him and asked, “You are the strategic genius and you have been working with him much longer than I have. What is your opinion?”

He felt his gut twist into knots at her question. On one hand, he _wanted_ to tell her…to help her understand Baras’ strategies. But, on the other hand, if he revealed too much, it would give her leverage over her Master, and insights that Baras would probably prefer that she did not have. It was like being trapped on the edge of a sarlacc pit by a krayt dragon and having to choose which death would be the preferable one.

Inwardly cursing himself for his cowardice, he merely shrugged, “It is difficult sometimes to fathom what Baras’ strategy is. But you saw his reasoning on Balmorra: to divert attention away from his true goal by attacking everything around it.”

Her scowl deepened….obviously, she was not convinced, “But in the end, it was a waste of time and resources because we were forced to deal directly with the Jedi anyway. I know that wasn’t part of the plan, but if it had been the plan all along, it end result would have been the same. And this whole thing with the padawan….I would think that our time and energy would be better spent just trying to find the girl herself, rather than attacking everything and everyone around her. It is as though Baras prefers to use a large bludgeon when a surgical knife would be more effective.”

Quinn had to school his expression into neutrality with some effort to hide how impressed he was at her reasoning. _She is much more perceptive than I had ever thought._ Once again, he felt an almost-nausea overtake him at the precarious situation he was in. _I never thought this would be easy, but I am beginning to think that she actually might have a chance against Baras one day…if I aid her. But if Baras finds out…jumping in a sarlacc pit would be preferable to what he would do._

Even as he struggled with this predicament, her voice broke through the silence again, “I remember something I heard about him….and witnessed first-hand…that he is extremely adept at torture and interrogation. He’s not one for a quick death if he can use and extract as much as he can from his victim. So…by attacking everyone around his target…he finds out more about them….and can hurt them more effectively.”

 _By the Emperor, she is so much closer to the truth than she could ever know. And…it is what he is doing to her: he’s using her for as long as he can….while I am forced to help him plan her eventual downfall._ Afraid to leave her in silence for too long, he managed to admit, “You are quite perceptive, my Lord. He hopes to draw out this padawan by discovering and hurting everyone that she is close to. Not only to draw her out…but to inflict the most pain he can upon her before she is destroyed.” He had little problem imparting that information to her, for most of it was already known to her from Baras himself. _But will she comprehend that he will have no issue at all with doing the same to her if she becomes a threat….or even just becomes no longer useful to him?_ Again, he felt the sharp knife of guilt cut through his insides, _And I am helping him accomplish it. I am giving him what he needs to hurt her…_

They both sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts until the first light of dawn began to appear behind them. “My Lord, should we be on our way? Before the heat of the day becomes too intense?”

Hyperia glanced to him, a crooked smile upon her lips…she could feel that he was hiding something. She had not felt his mental walls up so strongly in quite some time. “Yes, we have remained here too long as it is.” With a fluid motion, she slid off of the hood of the speeder and tossed the cloak in the seat before hopping in the passenger’s seat. She had requested at the start of their journey into the Dune Sea that he drive so that she could meditate and use a small bit of the Force to help shield them from some of the heat and sand.

He slid in beside her, started the speeder and throttled it towards the coordinates of the Jedi’s hut.

\------------------------

Thankfully, they had covered the better part of the distance the previous day, so the twin suns were still low in the sky when they arrived at the isolated hut nestled between two dunes. Quinn had suggested that they park at a distance, but Hyperia shook her head and said, “Take us to their doorstep. They already know we are here.” _“They?”_ He couldn’t help but wonder.

He discovered her meaning when they walked through the door: there were two Jedi within the hut. One obviously was Master Yonlach…a small, shriveled old man, but with an unmistakable presence of calm confidence. The other was a much younger, muscular man who stood defensively beside Yonlach, his posture suggesting that he was anticipating a fight.

His notion was proven correct as the young man immediately drew his lightsaber, calling to his Master, “The Sith we sensed is here! Retreat to safety! I will defend you!” Instinctively, Quinn drew his blaster, but Hyperia silently shook her head and gestured him to stand down. Complying, he kept his guard up and focused on the younger Jedi, knowing that she would need all of her strength and focus for the Master.

“Yu-Li, control your feelings. Come and stand at my side. I will face her.” Though the words carried the weight of an order, they held no rebuke or disappointment. He could not help but recall the Jedi Mashellon and how she too seemed almost machine-like in her emotionless state. _It is no wonder Hyperia was so completely miserable with the Jedi. I cannot ever imagine her succumbing to such a wretched existence._

“So you have found me Sith. I have been tracking your progress across Tatooine. You are a very fascinating and contradictory example of your order." _So it seems that I’m not the only one who has noticed that,_ Quinn couldn’t help but think to himself before the Jedi continued. “I know why you’ve come: you seek Nomen Karr’s padawan and hope to use me to flush her out. It will not work. She and I are linked through the Force and I have already warned her not to fall for your manipulations.”

Hyperia merely shrugged and tossed the Jedi one of her familiar sardonic smiles as her fingertips drummed a rhythm against the twin lightsaber hilts at her hips, “Oh, I can be _very_ convincing.”

Noting her eager stance, Yonlach narrowed his eyes warily, “The disparity in our capabilities is equal to the disparity in our ages. I am a full Jedi Master and Yu-Li has the greatest mastery in lightsaber combat of any I have ever seen. This is a fight you will not win. Turn back now.”

Quinn had no desire to surrender in the face of the Jedi, but even he had to admit that facing the Master alone would have been a considerable challenge, but two of them…in such a confined space as this small hut. They would be at a sizable disadvantage. She could apparently sense his unease and turned to murmur, “Don’t worry. Together, we can handle this.” Her confidence lent him inspiration and he simply nodded, hoping she was right. But as soon as it appeared, the Jedi Master snatched it away again.

“Perhaps that might be true. I doubt it….but it doesn’t matter, for you will be facing us alone.” The Jedi gestured towards him and suddenly Quinn felt his entire body go completely numb. He could still see as the room spun briefly and hear as his body hit the floor of the hut, but he could not move. Anger and panic warred within him as he struggled to regain some control over his limbs, but with no success. All he could do was watch helplessly as Hyperia faced the two Jedi.

“Interesting trick…I was always taught that the Jedi were supposed to fight fairly and with honor. Did something in the Code change?” Her voice was steady, but her attempt at sarcasm betrayed that she was beginning to feel a hint of fear.

“When the stakes are this high, I do what is necessary to preserve the Order”, the Master replied, sensing her wavering as he ignited his lightsaber.

“Very well, I do not need him to beat you”, it was a bold-faced lie….she honestly felt as though someone had just severed one of her arms. She had grown used to having him at her side and their fighting style had begun to reflect that. But she would not allow the Jedi to know that. She had to draw strength in believing she could do this alone. But the Jedi was not through trying to wear her down even before the battle had begun…

“I sense his feelings for you”, Yonlach’s gaze lingered briefly on Quinn’s prone form. “His devotion goes far beyond professional duty.” There was a faint hint of…pity…in the Jedi’s voice. “To have such misplaced affections….there must be some deep self-loathing there….”

Her shock turned quickly into rage at his final words. _So….I am not worthy of his devotion? This Jedi implies that there is something wrong with him for….what?...having feelings for me?!_ And again, she was knocked off-balance by this implication. _He’s trying to say….that Quinn….no…._

The Jedi obviously sensed her faltering and queried mildly, “Now….for the last time…will you stand down?”

Quickly shaking her head to try and clear the rampant stream of thoughts and emotions that tried to overcome her, she drew her sabers with a snarl. _Bastard is just trying to get under my skin…_ “You don’t intimidate me, Jedi.”

The younger man, Yu-Li, then lunged to his Master’s defense, calling out even as her twin sabers crossed to intercept his, “It is useless to reason with a Sith, Master!”

Even the normally unflappable Yonlach showed a burst of frustration as he drew his own lightsaber, “Blazes, Yu-Li, you’ve forced my hand!”

The next several minutes were some of the longest of Quinn’s life. He too had felt anger, shock, and discomfiture at the Jedi’s revelation. _How dare he rummage around in my mind like that?!_ It was the ultimate humiliation to not only be completely physically helpless, but to be subjected to his thoughts and feelings being dredged out in the open just for the sake of….what?...catching her off-guard? He could not deny the Jedi had been right…but all this time, he had persisted in keeping those feelings locked down…both for his sake and hers. They accomplished nothing besides being a distraction…as was made quite obvious by her reaction.

It took every ounce of rage and passion she could muster to even just hold her own against the pair. Yonlach had not lied about his student’s abilities: the younger man seemed to anticipate and parry every blow she directed at him, while his Master threw one Force attack at her after another. She realized that incapacitating Quinn had served a secondary purpose as well to the Jedis’ advantage: she was forced to step over and around him as they fought in the confined space, adding just one more distraction to the mix. More than once, she nearly faced her own death, barely able to parry, dodge, or reflect an attack from the Master or his protégée. They were relentless and knew every inch of the tight space within the hut…and everything in it that could be thrown at her.

Ironically, it was Quinn’s prone form that turned the tide in her favor. She was beginning to tire…and while the several ragged burns scoring her body where she had missed a parry or not managed to dodge in time from the younger man’s weaving saber had provided her with pain to fuel her rage, they also made it more difficult to summon the dexterity necessary to accomplish the moves she needed. In an attempt to sidestep an attack, she misjudged her position and stumbled over the Captain’s paralyzed body, falling clumsily to one knee. However, in a split second, when she thought all might be lost, she realized that she was now in a perfect position….and thrust her sabers up to catch Yonlach off-guard, impaling him through his stomach.

“No!” Yu-Li’s anguished cry gave her the distraction and last burst of energy she needed to summon the Force and fling him against the far wall, his head hitting with an audible crack, his body slumping to the ground, stunned but still barely conscious.

She was ready to dispatch them both, when Yu-Li attempted to shakily rise to his feet, “Stop…please Sith, I beg you! I’ll tell you everything I know if you will spare Master Yonlach!”

She actually heard anger start to creep into the Jedi Master’s voice for the first time as he struggled to stand, one arm clutching the wound in his abdomen, “Yu-Li! Stay your tongue!”

Unfazed, the younger man continued, “No! She is but a padawan! You are a great Master! I must bargain for your life.” Hyperia could not help but be amused at this exchange. _One Jedi selling out another….how delightful._ She silently gestured for him to continue. “Her name is Jaesa Willsaam and Noman Karr has taken her to—“

His words abruptly drifted off as the older Jedi idly waved his hand, murmuring, “You have no recollection of the padawan this Sith seeks.”

The young man’s eyes glazed over and his voice took on that of one who was talking through a dream, “I have no recollection of the padawan this Sith seeks…”

“Now sleep”, with another brief gesture from Yonlach, Yu-Li’s legs buckled and he collapsed upon the floor in a mindless slumber.

“Interesting trick”, she growled, using what bare strength she had left to force back the pain, “Don’t think to try that on me though.” _At this point, I don’t know if I could resist it,_ she thought silently.

“It would be a futile effort. As are your efforts here. You may have obtained her name, but you will get nothing more from me. So you may as well finish the job and kill me.” He closed his eyes and Hyperia was reminded of Mashellon and her willingness to face death. It was one of the many things about the Jedi she found utterly insane. “There is no death, there is only the –“

His utter tranquility, combined with her exhaustion and the agony of her wounds fueled her rage and gave her the last burst of energy she needed to cut him down before he could finish his mantra. The threat eliminated, she finally allowed herself to collapse against the wall, gaining only a faint comfort from the feel of the cool sandstone against her wounds.

As soon as the Jedi expired, Quinn could feel the numbness dissipating from his body and he pushed to his feet in time to see her collapse, “My Lord!” He knelt at her side, noting that she was still conscious, but obviously utterly exhausted and suffering from numerous saber burns, bruises and contusions from the duel. As he proceeded to start treating them with the kolto packs they had stocked up on, he could not help but admit shamefully, “I am deeply sorry that I was of no use to you. I did not anticipate the Jedi’s incapacitating ability.”

She managed a weary sigh and chuckled, “You have no need to apologize, Captain. I don’t think either of us was expecting that. Besides….you actually were of use. Had I not tripped over you, I think I would be dead right now.”

He bowed his head, attempting to hide a slight flush rising to his face, “Well, I had certainly hoped to be of better use than that for this battle. But I am glad that I managed to make a difference somehow.”

Hyperia winced as she attempted to leverage herself upright, “We should get out of here before he awakes”, her eyes darting to the prone form of Yu-Li.

Quinn glanced over his shoulder at the Jedi’s slumbering form, his eyes narrowing. “No, you need to rest. I will take care of it.” Without another word he rose, crossed the short distance to the Jedi and drew his pistol, shooting the unconscious man twice in the head. He paused, the pistol halfway back into its holster as his gaze fell upon Yonlach’s body. Hyperia could feel his anger from across the hut as he proceeded to do the same to the dead Master before walking back to her.

She could not conceal her shock and surprise at his behavior. He had always seemed so mild-mannered and professional. She could understand the logic behind killing Yu-Li…but she had never seen such a cold efficiency from him. Killing the helpless never seemed his style. While shooting the already-dead Jedi….there was no reason to it, aside from pure viciousness. And that was something she would have never expected from him. _Was it because of what Yonlach said….about his feelings towards me? Is he angry because it was the truth…or because it was a lie?_

He knelt beside her, once more attending to her wounds as though nothing had happened, though he could tell that his actions had surprised her. Not wishing to deal with what she might ask, he merely said, “I do not like being rendered helpless like that. It was not…pleasant.”

It was obvious she would get no more out of him than that at this moment, so she simply nodded and closed her eyes, allowing herself a brief time of rest before they would have to return to the spaceport. Quinn occupied the time by going through every centimeter of the small hut, searching for any clues as to anything that might aid in their hunt for the padawan. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be found…no gifts, trinkets, datapads…nothing at all.

As he finished his search, he heard her stirring and returned to her side. Needing to avoid any potentially uncomfortable questions or conversation topics, he spoke as soon as it was obvious that she was awake, “Sharack said that she would await us at the ship. She thought we were doomed. It will be satisfying to inform her of our success.”

Pushing herself from the wall and feeling her strength slowly returning, Hyperia chuckled, “She will definitely be surprised to see us.” Her lips twisted in an ironic smile, “To be honest, I can’t say I blame her.”

“She should not have doubted you”, _and neither should I_ , Quinn thought silently. He had not thought he could have been any more impressed in her skill and strength before today…but she continued to astonish him with what she could accomplish.  _One day she will be able to take on Baras…and win, I can feel it._

“And she is about to learn that…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just one more chapter that ran waaaaayyy longer than my intent. I had a hard time getting started and the nighttime scene just wasn't flowing like I wanted it to. So i decided to sleep on it and...BAM!....woke up with all kinds of interesting tidbits to explore.  
> Obviously, I made some changes from the game in regards to dialogue....plus, I always found it so amusing that everyone made such a HUGE deal in the game about the "Forbidden Pass" and how it's this remote, desolate, wasteland of an area that no one ever journeys to....and you can see Master Yonlach's hut easily from the Imperial outpost. So, obviously, I decided to vastly increase the distance there. I was going to make it even longer, but that would have made this chapter even longer....so, I cut it down to a day and half travel (they were in a speeder after all).  
> I was going to take this all the way to the spaceport and beyond...but once again, my brain decided to go into overdrive and supply me with a fun little side story for Vette and her quest for Quinn's elusive "Mark 5 Ring Stabilizers -- New"....so that will be covered in the next chapter.  
> Enjoy!


	13. Mark 5 Ring Stabilizers -- New (Tatooine Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...and a little brief fluff about Vette's adventures in finding them. :)

“Finally!” Hyperia sighed in relief as Sharack Breev departed the hanger. “Quinn, I’m beginning to think that you are Baras’ only minion that isn’t completely insane!”

Quinn managed to look faintly offended and disgusted, “’Minion’, my Lord?”

She chuckled, shaking her head, “My apologies, Captain. My mistake. You’re _my_ minion now….I hope.” Her tone lost some of its humor as she eyed him thoughtfully.

He managed to barely restrain a smile, concealing it by offering her a deep bow, “Indeed I am, my Lord.” _And Emperor help me if I have made the wrong decision._ “Hopefully we can finally leave this overheated sandbox. If the twi’lek managed to find the parts I needed….” He cast his gaze around the hanger, searching for the ever-elusive Vette.

“I’m sure she’s around here somewhere”.

Even as the words left her lips, the sound of feet lightly skipping down the ship’s ramp echoed through the hanger, followed by a cheerful, “You’re back! Great! That Sharack Breev woman wouldn’t stop moping around here. She didn’t believe me when I told her that you’d be back. She said that you two had gone out to some ‘forbidden’ place in the desert that no one ever comes back from.” Vette rolled her brown eyes sardonically, “I told her that you’d come back from plenty of ‘forbidden’ places already and beaten plenty of ‘impossible’ enemies before. But she didn’t believe me.”

Quinn interrupted as she paused to take a breath, “Did you get the stabilizers?”

“Ummm yeah….about that….” She offered a sheepish grin, but Hyperia could see the mischief sparkling in her eyes.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t….” Quinn began before she interrupted him with a mirthful giggle.

“I got them, Captain Stuffybutt, no need to get your pants in a twist. In fact….” She paused for dramatic effect, her gaze skimming over them, reveling in the anticipation she was causing. “….I got them for free. And installed by the best Imperial technician on the planet….also for free.” She immediately burst into laughter at the mutual looks of amazement shared by the Sith and the Imperial. “And the looks on your faces are worth everything I had to go through to get them!”

“Now this sounds like an interesting story to be sure”, Hyperia commented, intrigued.

“It is….and before I forget to mention it, you will probably be getting a holocall from a Major Brega before you leave…if not a personal visit.” The twi’lek had the talent to look both innocent and completely guilty at the same time.

“The plot thickens…” Quinn added, unable to conceal his own curiosity.

“C’mon….I’ll tell it over one of the bottles of Rydonnian Spicewine he threw into the bargain”, she hitched a thumb to the ship and turned to make her way back up the ramp.

Hyperia and Quinn both exchanged looks of unconcealed surprise and interest before following her back into the ship.

\-----------------------------

**The previous day**

“Oh c’mon, Regg….you have got to know _something_ about where I can find these things. I swear the only ones hawking ship parts around here are Jawas selling scavenged junk or the Exchange reselling Jawa-scavenged junk.” Vette pleaded to the bartender at the SiltShift Cantina, turning on the full extent of twi’lek charm she could muster.

“Why don’t you just buy from the Imperials?” The orange-skinned Rodian shrugged helplessly. “They should have exactly what you need.”

“I tried that already”, Vette huffed in frustration, “That was the first place I went and, either they didn’t have any in stock, or he just didn’t want to deal with a ‘filthy alien slave’ like me…it was hard to tell when he was talking to me with his nose so far up in the air.” She took a sip of the glass of Jawa beer that she had been slowly nursing during their conversation. She hated the stuff, but it was rude to not order something, especially if she wanted information in return...and it was the cheapest swill Regg served.

“You’ve got to know _someone_ who can get me these things. I mean, it’s for a Sith Lord…that’s got to mean something around here. Or would, if anyone would even listen to a word I say before shooing me off.” She put on her best sulky face, lower lip trembling.

“Oh…don’t look at me that way”, the Rodian bartender winced. He had such a soft spot for pretty twi’leks. “I _might_ know of someone who _might_ have what you need. But you did not find out about him from me, you got that? He’s high-ranking Imperial and it’s my neck if he knows I ratted him out to you.”

“Twi’lek honor….I won’t say a word about who I heard it from.” Vette leaned in as the Rodian’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Okay, his name is Major Brega. He’s stationed at the outpost on the edge of the Dune Sea. Kind of full of himself and he likes to deal in….smuggled contraband. The luxury stuff he keeps for himself, everything else he trades for the luxury stuff. Of course, the stuff he likes doesn’t come through here very often, so he’s usually sitting on a pretty nice stockpile of ship parts, weapons, you name it. No guarantee he’ll have what you need, but he’s probably your best chance. And you mention you’re working for a Sith Lord…well, that will probably get him sweating under the collar enough to cut you a pretty decent backdoor deal.”

“Regg, you’re the best!” Vette grinned and planted a kiss square on the Rodian’s forehead before hopping from her seat and skipping from the bar.

“You remember that!” He called out after her.

\-----

“Now that we have possession of that well, perhaps I can finally get a bath…. Now where’s that case of Corellian b –“

 Vette silently slipped up behind the Imperial officer who was quietly murmuring to himself in his tent. “Ummm….boo?”

The man jumped, spinning to face the twi’lek with a scowl upon his weathered and sunburned features. “What?! Who are you? What do you want, slave?”

Vette hated being called “slave”, but for the sake of her errand, she decided to humor the man and plastered a cheerful grin on her face, “Hi! You’re Major Brega, right? Name’s Vette….I’m on an errand for my mistress, the Sith Lord Hyperia. She’s in need of some Mark 5 Ring Stabilizers and I’ve heard it around town that you might know where to get some.”

The major seemed a bit taken back at the rapid-fire stream of words from the woman, frowning as he shook his head, “Where did you hear that?”

“Oh, a little bit of here…a little bit of there…” She gestured around them idly. “I hear you’re the go-to man for…”, she dropped her voice to a whisper, “…the good stuff.”

Brega frowned, brows knitting together in an angry scowl, “Even if this was true, why would I deal with the likes of you? I’ve never heard of this ‘Lord Hyperia’ you’re talking about…and what Sith in their right mind lets a slave run around on their own without a collar? Preposterous!”

“So, you want some proof, I guess?” Vette grinned slyly as she pulled out her commlink.

“Yes, let me speak to your mistress, immediately! If she even exists at all...which I doubt.”

Vette thumbed on the comm to be greeted by the flickering figure of 2V-R8, “Mistress Vette! How unexpected! How can –“

“Heya Too-Vee, is Hyperia back yet?”

“No, I am afraid not.”

Major Brega just rolled his eyes, arms crossing as he spat disgustedly, “Stop wasting my time, twi’lek. I should have you shot for lying…but only after a thorough interrogation to find out where you heard about me from…”

Vette frowned, “Oh keep your shirt on, Major Pain.” Addressing Too-Vee she continued, “Hey Too-Vee, can you tell Jerkface here all the official Imperial authorization/registration stuff he needs to verify whose ship you’re on?”

“Gladly, Mistress Vette!” The droid’s voice lost all emotional inflection as he began to intone, “Fury-Class Interceptor Avril’s Fire, Registry Fury359, authorization code 48-Aurek-Trill-Dorn-7-Besh-901, current owner Darth Baras, authorized operator: Apprentice Hyperia…”

“Okay, I think that’s good enough, Too-Vee….thanks”, Vette grinned, noting how the Major’s skin had gone a deathly pale as soon as Baras’ name was mentioned. “Soo….I’m guessing you now realize that Baras won’t be too happy if he finds out you refused to help his apprentice…?”

Brega swallowed hard, his mouth moving, but no words emerging at first, “I…..yes, of course! I believe I have a case of Mark 5’s around here somewhere. I can have them sent to your ship within the day!”

“Great! I’ll get someone to insta—“, Vette began before the Major interrupted her.

“No no, I’ll take care of everything for you! I know of the best starship tech on this planet and he will drop whatever he’s doing to install them for you!” Vette had to stifle a giggle at the complete 180-degree turnaround in the Major’s attitude.

And, being the sort of twi’lek she was, she couldn’t help herself, “I heard you talking about a case of Correllian Brandy when I walked in?”

“Of course! A gift to your mistress!”

“She’s not really the brandy type though….” Vette pondered thoughtfully for a long moment, practically reveling in the Major’s zeal, “Got any wine?”

“Yes….yes! I have a lovely case of Rydonnian Spicewine, vintage 3645! A very good year!”

Vette pondered this for a moment…or rather pretended to…then nodded, “Great! You can have it sent to the ship too.”

“It is a pleasure to serve. I hope that you will put in a good word for me with your mistress.”

Again Vette paused dramatically as she started out the door, eyeing the now-sniveling Major over her shoulder, “Yeah….I guess I can. I’ll try not to mention that you said that she was a ‘Sith not in her right mind’ for not having me collared. Tootles!”

\----------------------------------

**Now**

“I swear, I think the poor guy was about to cry!” Vette laughed as she poured herself and Hyperia another glass of the wine.

Quinn’s glass sat relatively untouched as his face twisted in disgust, “He is a disgrace to the uniform and the Empire. Trading in contraband goods for his own comfort while his men suffer. He should be punished.”

Hyperia kicked her feet up on the table, chuckling as she swirled the wine around in the glass, “I’ll have to think of something suitable. I could kill him. But, on the other hand, if he hadn’t been dealing under the table, you wouldn’t have gotten your stabilizers, Quinn.”

“We don’t know that”, he insisted, leaning forward to take his glass and sniff cautiously at the wine before taking a small sip, “I could have gone through official channels and procured some legitimately, I’m sure. They just didn’t want to deal with _her_ ….” He gestured with his free hand to Vette, the last word spat out with more than a little distaste.

“Then maybe you should have done that instead of making me run all over this forsaken desert, looking for them!” Vette yelled, glaring at Quinn across the table.

“’Running all over this forsaken desert’?! What do you think we…” he pointed to Hyperia, his voice also steadily raising, “…have been doing all this time?! Enjoying a vacation?!”

Hyperia sat silently, briefly pondering whether to break them up or let them continue. Admittedly it was rather entertaining in its own way…and a bit enlightening to witness Quinn actually dropping the stoic soldier façade for once. But the quiet chirp of the holocomm made the decision for her.

“Okay, you two….enough. That’s probably the Major calling. Vette…can you stall him for just a few minutes? I don’t think he’ll be too terribly intimidated if I greet him looking like I just spent the last week out in the desert. Oh…you did get my armor repaired through all of this, I hope?”

“Of course! Good as new and hanging in your locker!”

Before she could address him, Quinn spoke up, his usual visage of military professionalism firmly back in place, “I shall go check on the installation of the stabilizers, my Lord. I do not trust this man.”

Her eyes followed his retreating form for a moment before she turned to disappear into her quarters. She emerged minutes later, clad in her usual black armor, her features schooled into a stern scowl as she addressed the man’s image on the holocomm.

“Major Brega, I presume?”

“Yes, my Lord”, he bowed so deeply, Hyperia thought he was trying to kiss his boots. _He’d probably be trying to kiss mine if he were here in person._

“I hear that I have you to thank for my new stabilizers.” She kept her voice carefully neutral, not allowing him to discern her temperament.

“Yes, my Lord. It was nothing. I was happy to serve the illustrious apprentice of the mighty Darth Baras.”

“Oh?” She queried with a touch of ominous incredulity, “Even one who is ‘not in her right mind’?”

She thought the man was about to soil himself as he cowered visibly, “My Lord, please forgive me! I did not mean it. I thought the twi’lek was lying about her associations!”

Concentrating on the man’s holo, she extended a tendril of the Force through the connection as she had witnessed (experienced) Baras doing, and began to slowly squeeze, “And you are an Imperial officer dealing illegally in contraband, as well as denying your soldiers the comforts you are hording for yourself.”

The Major’s eyes bulged as he clawed at his throat, “M—my Lo—rd, I—“

“Save it, worm.” With that, she released him to collapse, coughing on the ground. “You will get to live this day. But you will submit yourself into your commanding officer for whatever punishment he deems fit and turn over all of your illicit goods for proper distribution. I will be checking back to ensure that my will is done in this matter, am I understood?”

“Y—yes, my Lord. Th—ank you.”

She cut the transmission, then sighed heavily, leaning against the comm terminal.

“You handled that well, my Lord”, she heard Quinn offer from the entry hatch.

“Thank you”, she raked a hand through her hair wearily, “I honestly didn’t kill him because….well, I didn’t realize it was so difficult to force choke someone through the comm. Just that little bit took effort….and I didn’t want him to sense weakness.” _And this was just on the same planet. Baras managed it from lightyears away…for what seemed like several minutes. He is more powerful than I might have imagined._

The thought of her Master reminded her that she needed to contact him concerning their completion of the mission here and their next step in Alderaan. She was honestly dreading going there more than any other place thusfar. _They say that you can never go home again. I guess I’m about to find out…._


	14. Wretches and Kings (Alderaan Pt1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To save face / how low can you go  
> Talk a lot of game but yet you don't know  
> Static on the way / make us all say whoa  
> The people up top push the people down low  
> \--"Wretches and Kings" by Linkin Park
> 
> They say you can never go home again....but Hyperia isn't sure when the crew touches down on her home planet of Alderaan. Memories start to resurface...

“This is Rhu Caenus Approach. You are cleared for landing in hanger bay 12-Cresh, Avril’s Fire. We hope you enjoy your stay on Alderaan.” The tinny tones of an Imperial droid filtered through the comm as Quinn brought the ship in to land at the designated bay. After completing the post-flight checks, he pushed from the pilot’s chair and headed into the main hold.

Surprisingly, he had heard nothing from Hyperia all morning. Hours prior, he had heard Too-Vee inquiring through her door as to her desire for caf and/or breakfast, but nothing since then…which was most unusual for her. Most days, she was awake, dressed and ready not long after he was…even sometimes before. Cautiously, he pressed the door chime to her quarters and was rewarded with a rather weary-sounding “Come in”, a few seconds later.

He entered into near-darkness, the only illumination coming from the faint crimson glow beneath the deckplates and the monitor screen of her personal computer. In the dimness, he could make out that she was still clad in her nightclothes: a simple black tank top and matching leggings, and her hair looked tousled from sleep. Sitting on the console was an empty bottle of the Ryonnian Spicewine, along with an empty glass, empty caf cup, and a plate holding only crumbs from some sort of pastry.

“My Lord, we have touched down on Alderaan”, he ventured cautiously. She had been on edge ever since Baras had assigned them the task of hunting down Jaesa Willsam’s family there. He had done his research and knew why she was so reluctant to come…and the image on the monitor confirmed his theory. Dominating the screen were various holonet articles, accompanied by the images of three people, all obviously related: one older man, along with a young man and woman, both appearing to be of similar ages. All three shared similar shades of bronzed skin, reddish-brown hair, and pale brown…almost golden…eyes. The resemblance to Hyperia herself was uncanny.

“House Teral, my Lord?” Though he phrased it as a question, he already knew. Soon after she had given her original family name back on Nar Shaddaa, he had begun to look into it, having felt that it was familiar, but not knowing exactly how until he had come across the names of the noble houses of Alderaan.

“What’s left of us….them”, she replied, her voice rough, weary. As he moved to stand beside her, he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye: she looked incredibly tired, her features a sickly pale in the glow of the monitor, emphasizing the darkness under her eyes.

“My Lord, have you slept?” A strong thread of concern ran through his query.

Her lips tugged in a faint half-smile, “A little. I had just planned on doing a brief bit of research on the political climate of the planet and….well, it’s a complex thing, especially now. And, my family’s involved….so I just had to find out…about them.” She turned away slightly, appearing guilty…almost embarrassed…that she cared about her former family.

“I understand, my Lord. But you needn’t have put yourself into this state over it. I could have briefed you….” He trailed off hesitantly, unsure what her reaction would be to finding out that he had been investigating her family.

She released a tired chuckle, “Why am I not at all surprised that you went digging around?” Feeling him tense slightly, she shook her head, “Do not worry yourself over it, Captain. I would have been rather disappointed if you hadn’t. I know how thorough you can be when you have a mystery before you.”

She stared in silence at the images on the screen for a long moment before switching it off, plunging the room into a crimson-bathed gloom. He could feel more than see that she had risen from the chair and heard her release a tired sigh as she ran her hands through her hair.

“I suppose I should get ready. I doubt Baras will want to be kept waiting to hear that we have arrived. Can you impose upon Too-Vee to fetch me another cup of caf?” she inquired as she headed for the door of her private refresher.

“Of course, my Lord. I shall await you whenever you are ready.” Offering a perfunctory bow, he excused himself from her quarters.

She emerged several minutes later, her hair still faintly damp and her features still appearing a bit tired and drawn, but fully dressed in an unfamiliar, rather ornate set of armor of deep red and black, with flared shoulder plates and a flowing cape of black with an abstract design of matching red and dark charcoal emblazoned upon it. Tucked under one arm was an equally-elaborate helmet of obsidian metal, embellished with crimson-lacquered insets and angular flares of a contrasting polished dark metal, the other hand cradled a steaming cup of caf.

“Wow….don’t you look particularly Sithy this morning!” Vette piped up from her spot on the couch where she reclined with her own cup of caf, her eyes widening in a mix of surprise and admiration.

Hyperia chuckled softly as she placed the helmet upon the table and took a long sip of the caf. “It’s Alderaan…most battles here are waged with style and wit, not lightsabers.” She slanted her gaze over to Quinn, a thoughtful scowl creasing her lips. “Speaking of which…if you happen to have a more…impressive uniform in your wardrobe, you might want to wear it. Don’t go full formal since I know we will be doing some fighting…but something a little less ‘average, everyday Imperial captain’ and more ‘bodyguard and advisor to powerful Sith Lord’”.

He nodded, “I believe I have something that may work for our purposes, my Lord”. With that, he disappeared into his quarters. He emerged a few minutes later, just in time to hear Baras conclude the briefing.

“…you will find him in the House Thul executive chambers. Make haste”.

 As the holo flickered off, Vette released a low whistle, “Oh…now that does the trick!”

Hyperia turned to examine Quinn’s new attire and nodded approvingly. The entire ensemble demonstrated both functionality and style, boasting an armored chestpiece with his rank discretely emblazoned on one shoulder over a synthleather shirt and matching pants of varying shades of gray, and knee-high armored boots.

“You should wear that all the time, Captain. It looks so much better than your usual boring old uniform.” She teased as she swigged down the last of the caf, grabbed her helmet, and slapped him on the shoulder playfully. “Let’s go pay a visit to this Duke Kendoh. He sounds as though he needs the fear of the Sith instilled into him.”

“And what am I doing, your Sithy-ness?” Vette asked from her place on the couch where she was still lounging.

“I need you to do some slicing for me. Do some digging around the HoloNet and wherever else you can, and see if there’s any of the Panteer family still around in hiding…and, if so, if any of them have reached out to the Empire.” She hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Same thing for the Terals.”

“Got it. You want me to call you if I find anything?”

“No. I will call you when we are finished with Baras’…errand.”

“I’m on it, Boss. Have fun!” The twi’lek flipped them a jaunty salute as they exited the ship.

\----------------------

“Ugh….I feel as though I need another shower”, Hyperia shuddered as they departed the Duke’s chambers in the House Thul complex. “I’ve met Hutts less slimy than that man.” Her lips curled in disdain…the only part of her face visible from beneath the elaborate headpiece.

“No doubt, my Lord.” Quinn wore an expression of barely-disguised disgust. Hyperia had felt a simmering anger from behind his mental walls the entire time they had been talking to the Duke....with good reason.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Duke Kendoh blatantly brushed off their mission for Baras, but he also threatened to have them killed by his personal entourage of Sith bodyguards. Thankfully, the Sith attending the Duke held their loyalties to the Emperor and their fellow Sith closer than to the Duke and refused his commands. However, even after he made a show of apologizing and offering his aid, he still continued to eye Hyperia as though he was trying to see what lay under her armor, making her skin crawl.

“I would be willing to bet good credits that this ‘Lady Renata’ is just a wild orokeet chase. You saw Kendoh…he was practically drooling all over himself when he asked me to bring her back to him for….questioning.” She shuddered again, imagining the sort of twisted, perverse “questioning” Kendoh had in mind.

“Unfortunately, it’s the only lead we have, my Lord. So, for now, we need to take it and see if it pans out.” Quinn seemed no more pleased about it than she was. “I will admit that you showed remarkable restraint towards him.”

“I wanted to snap his scrawny neck. But, as much as I hate to admit it, we need him. So, for now, we play the game of politics and diplomacy. Once we have found this padawan’s family, I will take great pleasure in slowly choking the life out of him.” As they climbed into the speeder that would take them to the nearest Imperial outpost on the outskirts of House Alde lands, she removed the helmet and placed it beside her.

“I hate wearing that thing”, she grumbled as the speeder took off, the wind ruffling her sweat-damp hair.

“I had noticed that you have never worn one in the time I have been in your service, my Lord. But there are many Sith who opt not to, so it never struck me as being out-of-place that you didn’t.” He bit back the rest of what he was thinking, _And Baras, no doubt, thought that you would be more effective by not hiding your attractiveness behind a mask._ He swallowed, recalling when she first walked into his office on Balmorra and how her benign appearance had put him off-guard.

“I only wear it here because….well, I’d prefer not to have someone accidentally recognize me. Friend or foe. I can’t imagine my father’s reaction if word got back to him that there is a Sith running around the planet who is the spitting image of his long-dead Jedi daughter.” She rested her chin upon the back of her hand as she watched the snow-dotted woodland landscape drift by, feeling her gut twist slightly with homesickness.

Quinn eyed her silently for a moment, then asked, “But, it sounds as though you want Vette to find your family for you? Are you planning to meet them?”

Her gaze turned inward for a long span and she released a soft sigh, “I…don’t know. My father and sister would…probably not be thrilled to see me like this. My father was angry when I left with the Jedi. After mother died, I became just marriage fodder in his eyes. He was planning on trying to marry me off to the Crown Prince when I got old enough. But, even so, he has always supported the Republic and the Jedi. My younger sister was always jealous of me…but my little brother, her twin, we were always close. I honestly didn’t realize how much I missed him until I started pulling up what I could find on them last night. The last time I saw him, he was just a little scrawny kid, running around the courtyard, playing in the fountain.” A faint, wistful smile tugged at her lips at the memory. “Now he’s a man grown…” She trailed off, realizing that Quinn was staring at her strangely, “What is it?”

“Your father was going to marry you to the Crown Prince of Alderaan?” His eyebrows rose incredulously and she laughed.

“Well, that’s what he hoped, anyway. But, so did every other father of a noble house with an eligible daughter. So it wasn’t as though it was guaranteed I was going to become the next Queen of Alderaan. Though I will admit, that being from a House with such close ties to Panteer…and I was not that much younger than the Prince…my chances were better than most. But, even if I had, most likely I would have been assassinated along with the Prince and his mother. So I guess I should be thankful the Jedi managed to ‘rescue’ me from that fate.” Her lips twisted in a wry smile as the speeder landed at the outpost.

\--------------------

They made good time to the House Alde compound and arrived just as the sun had set. Quinn was more than a little amazed at how deftly Hyperia was able to slip through the near-darkness and evade the various knots of guards milling around the complex. When he commented on it quietly to her as they ducked within the designated tower, she merely shrugged and murmured, “Alde has always been a bit…arrogant….and lax, because of it. Plus, my father drug me to enough parties and soirees here that I can still remember how to get around without being noticed.”

They only ran into a few guards on their way to Lady Renata’s chambers, who were quickly dispatched. They found the woman herself standing at the side of a very large bodyguard. Hyperia could not help but feel a slight amount of pity for them…she could vaguely remember Renata from one of the Alde parties she had attended many years ago: a small, skinny girl, cowering in the corners, skittish and weak, hiding behind the slack-jawed boy who was larger than all the children his age…and even some of the adults…who never left her side. _Everyone has grown up while I was gone…but so little has changed._

“Lay-dee, we have in-troo-dur”, the man Windredd intoned slowly as he stepped forward defensively. It was obvious that his strength only applied to his body and not his mind.

“Lady Renata, I have come seeking information about your former handmaiden, Jaesa Willsam”. Hyperia left her lightsabers sheathed and schooled her voice to calm assurance. There was no challenge in confronting anyone as weak as this pair.

Renata’s brows furrowed in confusion, “What is this nonsense you’re spouting? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Hyperia exchanged a glance with Quinn, her lips twisting into a scowl as she realized that her theory had been correct: Kendoh had already known that she knew nothing about the padawan. It was just an excuse to get the Lady into his disgusting clutches.

“Lay-dee, let me kill dis Sith like da last one Duke Kendoh sent”, Windredd’s ponderous voice interrupted her irritated thoughts.

“You don’t need my permission to kill an enemy that comes barging through my door”, Renata replied haughtily with a casual flick of her hand, “Make it quick.”

The big man pulled a thick electrostaff from his back, the weapon emitting a loud hum as he activated it. Hyperia responded by drawing her twin sabers with a flourish, hoping to intimidate the man, “Stand down, Windredd, or you’re dead.”

“Sith got it wrong. You dead.” He lunged in, proving that his body was not at all as slow as his mind. It took her by surprise to see such speed in such a large man, and she was forced to backpedal to stay out of range of his spinning staff. Quinn managed to hit him with a stun dart, but it only slowed the man for a second, a primal growl issuing from between his teeth as he pulled the dart out and tossed it away. It took everything the both of them had to wear the man down. It was obvious he had trained for crowd control and fighting off multiple attackers. But eventually, they managed to outmaneuver him and Hyperia cut him down with a single stroke.

“Lay-dee….I….sorry….” He moaned sadly as he collapsed. Hyperia almost felt sorry for him.

“No! This can’t be!” Renata stared fearfully at her bodyguard’s dead body, her large brown eyes even wider in shock, “Please…I’m sorry I told him to kill you, Sith. It’s just….I’ve been fending off Duke Kendoh’s advances for so long. I thought…you were another one of his people.”

Hyperia thought that the woman was about to cry. Fear radiated from her in waves, her hands were shaking. _She wouldn’t last a day with the Duke….she’s so fragile, he’d have her broken before the sun set._ She felt a pang of sympathy for Renata for a moment, silently listening as she continued, “But, you said something about someone named ‘Jaesa’?”

“Kendoh said she was your handmaiden”. She had a hard time keeping the skepticism from her voice.

“The Duke is a liar!” Renata spat vehemently….the first sign of any sort of backbone she had exhibited thusfar. “I know of her, but she never served me.”

“Somehow I am not surprised,” as she spoke, Hyperia heard footsteps behind them and turned to see Kendoh’s Sith entourage approaching.

FimmRess, the apparent leader of the group spoke up, “I’m sure the Duke will double his efforts to ensure you find what you are seeking. And he will make sure that she is not lying to you…once the Lady is in his possession.”

“Nooo! Please! Don’t take me to that….PIG!” Renata fell to her knees before Hyperia, desperation writ upon her features. “I will tell you everything! She wasn’t in my household, but I know who she belonged to. Just don’t make me go with them!”

Hyperia cut her eyes to FimmRess, who honestly seemed as displeased at the prospect of handing this frail woman over to the Duke as she was, before returning her gaze to the kneeling Renata, “Tell me what you know and we shall see.”

This seemed to calm her somewhat, so she took a deep breath and rose slowly to her feet. “Before she left with the Jedi, Jaesa Willsam was the handmaiden of Geselle Organa of House Organa. They were inseparable.”

“And where is this ‘Gesselle Organa’?” Somehow, Hyperia doubted that she would be found within the Organa compound. Not that infiltrating it would be easy. It actually might be a stroke of luck if she wasn’t.

“She’s a general, leading the House Organa forces against Ulgo…so her headquarters are somewhere on the front lines.”

Hyperia pondered this for a moment, then scowled, “That’s a lot of area to cover….”

“I’m sorry, that’s all I know!”

FimmRess spoke up once more as he moved to Renata’s side, “The Duke will know where to find the General…once Lady Renata is delivered to him.”

Hyperia’s eyes narrowed behind the mask. _So that’s how the Duke's playing this? He gets what he wants, then he gives me what I want. I suppose I should expect it from a power-hungry worm like him. Fine…I’ll play his game…for now._ “Very well…take her.”

Utter despair radiated from the woman as she cried, “NO! I thought you….but I told you everything!” Two of the other Sith took her arms and led her away as she sobbed helplessly.

As FimmRess turned to follow them out, Hyperia stepped before him, laying a hand on his chest to halt his progress. She knew he couldn’t see her eyes through the mask, but she made sure he could feel a swirling torrent of urgency emanating from her, “You know what the Duke will do to her.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, forcefully spoken.

The dark-haired Sith bowed his head, regret apparent in his expression, “Yes. He…spoke about it often…in great detail.” His features pinched in obvious disgust.

“Do what you can for her. I promise that she….as well as you and your Sith….will not be in his clutches much longer.” _Just one more reason to wipe that perverted scum from the face of this planet._

FimmRess nodded, gratitude showing in his eyes, “Thank you. I will eagerly anticipate that day and welcome it when it comes. May it come quickly.” With that, she dropped her hand and he turned to depart, Hyperia and Quinn following shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of a looooonnnggg stay in Alderaan, so get comfy. Since it's Hyperia's home planet and her family is still there, I will be packing the next few chapters full of lots of back story, head-canon, and maybe even a little fluff and/or naughty bits.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> For visually-oriented people like me...or those who just like to see outfits...here's what our pair is wearing in Alderaan:  
> 


	15. Alderaanian Night Whispers (Alderaan Pt2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The way you move  
> Is mesmerising  
> The way you move  
> Is hypnotising  
> I know I crumble when you are around  
> Stutter, mumble, a pitiful sound  
> Stagger, stumble, shackled and bound  
> In chains  
> \--"In Chains" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Part One of the first night in Alderaan. Tensions, emotions and passions are running high as our pair prepares to spend the night at House Thul. A wee bit of canon storyline, mixed with some slow burn tension. No naughty bits yet...but maybe next chapter! ;-)

“Aahhh…..you have returned. I’m beside myself with appreciation for bringing Lady Renata to me. She will prove….most useful”, Duke Kendoh Thul purred roughly as they entered his chambers.

Hyperia was most thankful that the helmet hid most of her face so that he could not see the utter loathing in her eyes. She had to school her expression to neutrality and focus her gaze on a point on the wall just behind the Duke in order to combat the nausea she felt at his gleeful arousal. It took every ounce of self-control to murmur out a respectful, “Anything for House Thul”, between her teeth.

“You will be forever cherished here”, the little man rumbled, his gaze once more skimming over her with frank appraisal, causing Hyperia’s stomach to turn queasily. “So, I hear from FimmRess that the lead was fruitful for you? The girl belonged to Gesselle Organa? Or, I should say ‘General’ Gesselle Organa.”

“Yes, I was also informed that you would have an idea of where she is stationed and perhaps how to access her?” _And whatever you tell me had better be useful, little man,_ she thought irritably. The hour was late, she was tired, hungry and sick of having to appease this little pervert.

“Indeed…..” The Duke trailed off dramatically. His ponderous, rough way of speaking was, no doubt, thought by him to be enticing…or aristocratic, but Hyperia just found it annoying. “Since she leads the Organa war effort against the Ulgos and chooses to station herself and her people right on the front line, her headquarters is shielded by a force field that is quite impenetrable.” _Of course it is,_ Hyperia thought irritably. _I would be suspicious if it was easy._

“So….I assume you have some sort of solution to this?” Hyperia fought to keep her irritation from her voice, but her weariness was making it difficult. _Get to the point already._

“Perhaps…” Again that damnable long pause. _The little worm no doubt appreciates the attention we are forced to give him._ “A force field needs power, yes? So, we cut her source of power….which would be…” He appeared thoughtful for a moment, but she knew that he was just stalling. _One would think that he would be in a hurry to get us out of here so he can finally be alone with Renata._ The girl was notably absent and Hyperia silently hoped that FimmRess had managed something to keep her safe for a time.

“Ah yes! The planetary generators! Gesselle is no doubt piggybacking on them for her power! Many other nobles do this as well to supply their…special needs.” He rubbed his side whiskers thoughtfully before continuing, “A precise charge at the generators will cause the fail-safes to trip. It won’t affect anything except ancillary taps like Gesselle’s force field, which will have to be manually reset. It should give you enough time to…take care of her.”

Hyperia pondered over this for a moment. _There’s something he’s not mentioning. I don’t even need to rummage around in that sewer of a mind of his to know that._ She turned to Quinn who had been standing silently thoughtful beside her, “What do you think of this plan, Captain?”

“The theory is sound. If the force field operates on an emergency power tap, when the system transfers to backup sources…as it would if the main power is cut…that power tap would have to be manually reset.” Quinn also felt that there was something that the Duke was hiding…no doubt having to do with the “special needs” of his fellow nobles…but the overall plan seemed feasible. He would have to discuss the rest with her out of the Duke’s earshot.

The Duke appeared a bit discomfited by Quinn’s assessment. Apparently, he was under the impression that she would blindly go along with whatever he planned without questioning it. _No surprise, considering that he seems to treat females as brainless playthings._ “Your…ummm…man seems to know his stuff.” He quickly recovered his composure and offered what he might have thought was a welcoming smile…but Hyperia just found it more lecherous than anything. “The hour is late and I would assume you would like to rest…and perhaps have a meal…before departing in the morning. Please accept the hospitality of House Thul and be our guests for the evening.”

Hyperia pondered on this for a moment, exchanging a glance with Quinn. His expression remained placid, but she could feel caution stirring. In her considerable experience with Alderaanian noble society, she knew that refusing would be a gross offense in the Duke’s eyes…and they could not well afford to insult him at this juncture. However, just being in the same building as the man made her skin crawl.

Before she could even respond, the Duke turned to his Sith bodyguard, “FimmRess, show Baras’ apprentice and her…associate…to the guest rooms. Make sure they have everything they need.”

“As you wish, my Duke”, the dark-haired Sith replied before leading them from the room, “This way…”

The trio walked in silence for several minutes as FimmRess led them from the Duke’s compound and into a nearby tower, before stepping into an elevator dominating the entryway. As the doors closed and the elevator began to ascend, the bodyguard broke the silence, “I did not think that you would wish to remain in the Duke’s wing of the complex.”

“You assumed correctly…thank you”, Hyperia replied as she leaned casually against the elevator wall, crossing her arms. “Were you able to….accommodate Lady Renata in some way?”

FimmRess offered her a crooked smile…the first time she had actually seen him do so since they arrived, “She somehow managed to come down with a particularly nasty…and contagious…case of Bybbec Fever on the way back. She’ll be a bit under the weather for a few days while she’s in quarantine.”

She could not help but laugh in response, “Very nicely done. I am impressed.” _I was not sure if he would even heed my request, but it appears that he is more clever than he seems._

“Thank you”, the Sith inclined his head respectfully as the elevator reached its destination and they stepped into a circular hallway, doors lining the walls. “I do not wish to assume anything, so I shall ask: will you need one bedroom or two?”

Hyperia slanted her gaze over to Quinn. Though her eyes were unseen through the helmet, her lips quirked into a mischievous smile. She could see a hint of red flushing the Captain’s neck beneath his collar. _I should say “one”, just to watch him squirm. But…_ She could not help but feel a faint…anticipation radiating from the Duke’s bodyguard. _If I am not mistaken, he is hoping I will say “two”. Interesting._ After weighing her choices for a moment, she said, “Two.” _At least this way I have a choice…should it present itself._

FimmRess merely nodded, his expression unwavering from its usual neutrality, and led them down the hallway, stopping to punch in a code next to a set of double doors. The doors opened silently and the trio stepped into an elegantly-appointed suite.

Hyperia nodded approvingly as her gaze drifted around the main room. The furnishings were opulent and dominated by the Thul house colors of deep purple, crimson and gold: in the center of the room, a pair of large sofas flanked a low table, in one corner, a small dining table was set with four chairs, and a sideboard, shelves and elegant statues lined the walls. Heavy velvet curtains draped over floor-to-ceiling windows and a second set of double doors led outside to a covered balcony featuring another pair of couches, small side tables and potted flora. On either side of the main room, a single door led to each of the sleeping quarters, both identically furnished with a single large bed, divan with side table and an ample storage closet. Within the closet hung simple, yet luxurious attire: a silken dressing robe, along with a few outfits in the Thul colors and design. Each bedroom also boasted its own private refresher, stocked with plush towels and high-end toiletries.

Having finished touring their accommodations, she commented blandly, “This should be adequate to our needs.” It was considered coarse manners to rave approvingly over one’s guest lodgings and FimmRess was apparently well-enough acquainted with Alderaanian customs to know this, merely bowing his head in acquiescence to her.

“I presume that you will wish to take your dinner here instead of with the Duke?” Obvious amusement tinged his words…it was expected for a guest to at least be invited to dine with their host, but even the dimmest of wits would be able to discern that she would rather have her arms ripped out by a gundark than spend another second more with the Duke than necessary.

“You presume correctly, FimmRess. Thank you.”

As the Sith turned to leave the room, Quinn quietly addressed him, “My Lord, if I may….I would like to request the schematics of the generator. As to better plan our assault tomorrow.”

Hyperia could not hide a smile of pride, _That’s my Captain…always making sure to be as thorough as possible._ It was one of the many qualities that he possessed that never stopped appealing to her.

FimmRess cut his gaze to her for a brief second as though making certain that she approved of his query and, receiving no dissent, he sketched a quick nod to them both. “Of course, I will have them brought to you here as soon as I am able.” With that, he turned and left them.

As soon as the doors closed behind the Sith, Hyperia released a weary sigh and collapsed on one of the large couches, pulling off the helmet and placing it on the low table. Her auburn hair was damp with sweat and matted to her head. Where the helmet had covered her face, her skin was also sheened with perspiration and flushed, her eyes faintly bloodshot. “I would like nothing more than to just sleep right here and now…but I’m starving…and obviously need a shower”, she drug her hands through her dank hair with a look of mild distaste, “I feel…and probably look…a mess.”

Quinn actually found her current appearance somewhat oddly appealing. It added a certain…humanity to her, made one forget for a moment that she was a powerful Sith who could crush the life out almost anyone she chose with but a gesture. Right now, she was just a hungry, tired, sweaty…almost ordinary…woman. _And that is a very dangerous line of thought to have,_ he berated himself silently. “If you wish to go get cleaned up, I can wait here and attend to the food when it arrives.”

Leveraging herself up from the couch with some effort, she tossed him a crooked grin, “Sounds like a plan. Just make sure you leave some for me…” She said over her shoulder as she disappeared into her room.

She emerged several minutes later, just as one of the servants had finished setting up their dinner on the sideboard, clad in a long burgundy satin dressing gown and ruffling her damp hair through her fingers. “Oh my, that smells wonderful!”

The young girl clad in House Thul colors bowed silently and ducked out the door as Hyperia swept over to the sideboard to eye the still-steaming dishes that had been laid out. “Roast gorak in malla petal sauce, ghoba rice and vegetables, and….is that….starblossom cake?!” Hyperia felt her gut clench with sudden homesickness, one hand lifting to her lips as she fought away tears.

Quinn eyed her curiously, obviously puzzled over her reaction, “My Lord….are you alright?”

She swallowed hard, torn between forcing back the sudden swell of emotions, but feeling as though it would be a betrayal of the Sith Code itself not to let them flow. “I…yes….it’s just….my mother used to make me starblossom cakes…before she died. It was the one thing she wouldn’t leave for the baker to make. I haven’t had one since then.” Her eyes squeezed tightly shut as he laid a hand cautiously on her shoulder. Taking several deep breaths, she finally composed herself and tossed him a grateful smile over her shoulder, “Let’s eat! I’m starving!”

They each filled their plates and she poured two glasses of wine, handing one to Quinn when he tried to walk off without it. “My Lord, you know…I don’t think I’ve ever drank as much in my entire life as I have in the time since I have been in your service.”

She couldn’t help but laugh as she led him to the balcony outside, settling onto one of the couches there and placing her plate upon her lap and drink upon the side table. “I tend to have that effect on people, it seems.”

“Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, my Lord…it is very difficult to refuse a Sith.” He replied as he sat down on the opposite couch and began eating. The food was amazingly good…probably the best he had eaten since leaving Dromund Kaas…and he had to admit, the wine was an excellent vintage that complimented the food perfectly.

They sat silently eating for several minutes, just enjoying the food, wine and the cool night air. It was a marked contrast to having endured Tatooine’s heat, sand, and simple rations for days on end. Having finished her dinner, Hyperia placed her plate upon the table and curled her legs beneath her, leaning back on the couch as she swirled the wine in its glass.

“So….you mentioned that it is nearly impossible to refuse a Sith…?” Her voice trailed off as her gaze skimmed across to him. He had been lost in his own thoughts until then and when he glanced up to her to respond, he could not help but notice the mischievous curve to her lips…and that the way she was sitting caused her robes to fall in a manner that displayed a rather inordinate amount of bare skin.

 _Is she….is the robe the only thing she’s wearing?_ , he suddenly realized and swallowed hard to try to compose himself before speaking, “I….well, yes…that is sometimes true…my Lord.” It was incredibly difficult to concentrate when she was looking at him that way.

She chuckled softly as she noticed the flush of red starting to creep over his face, “You know, you are so much more….direct, focused and decisive out in the field.”

“I would never hesitate in the heat of battle, my Lord”, he sounded almost offended, though his mind was racing. _In battle, objectives are clear….alone with you like this, I never know what to think or say or do._

“It’s not the heat of battle I’m worried about. You know you could stow the whole ‘stoic soldier’ routine when it’s just the two of us. I know there’s more to you underneath that uniform”, her lips curled in a sensuous smile and he could feel his heart racing at the innuendo.

“I…don’t know what you mean, my Lord”. Even as the words left his lips, he inwardly groaned at himself. _That sounded incredibly unconvincing. She knows I am lying…but I can’t admit…._

She drained the last of her wine, placed the glass on the table and leaned in towards him, the…view…substantiating his theory that she was definitely not wearing anything under the robe. “I think you know _exactly_ what I mean”, she seized his chin in one hand, forcing him to look into her eyes. “You have been managing to refuse me for quite some time now. Am I not your type? No lame excuses or distractions….if you are not interested, just say so.”

 _Oh stars…how do I say this?_ He felt panic start to overtake him…not unlike the first time she ever pinned him down with those golden eyes and asked him point-blank if he liked her back in his quarters on Balmorra. The feeling was amplified even more now….for back then, he had thought that she would be out of his life within a day or two, never to be seen again…so he could put her off and dance around the answer. But now…he was in her service indefinitely, so he could not persist much longer in denying her. But Baras….he wanted her attraction to him to be a one-way street…something that could be exploited. There was no way in the Void that this would ever end anything but badly….but he couldn’t tell her. Not yet.

“My Lord…such an entanglement could cloud judgement…compromise your campaigns. And my work….tends to require complete concentration. I’m not adept at juggling business with pleasure.” He could not help but drop his gaze and tense at what her reaction might be. She had requested no lame excuses, but that’s exactly what he gave her.

Surprisingly, she released her grip on his chin and sat back on the couch, arms crossing, as she eyed him silently for a moment. “Very well”, her tone dropped the warm sensuality altogether in favor of a neutral…almost cold…professionalism, “If that is the case, then perhaps this is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later since you seem to be lacking in the skills to diversify in this manner. So, it is up to me, as your commander, to rectify this problem.”

Quinn could not help but frown in complete confusion. She had made a complete 180-degree turnaround in demeanor before he could blink. He could not help but feel anxiety over what she had in mind, so what she said next took him completely and utterly off-guard.

“Captain, I command you to kiss me.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_Cliffhanger!!_**
> 
> I couldn't resist! Not to mention, I've been a bit under the weather the past several days, so it's taken me quite a while to get this chapter completed. Add to that, the fact that I'm STILL debating on what's going to happen next. Naughty bits...or no? Hmmm....we shall have to see. (Especially since, if I put their relationship in fast-forward, that's going to force a total rewrite of the last two chapters. :-P)


	16. Night Games (Alderaan Pt3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am a little bit insecure, a little unconfident  
> 'Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense  
> I am what you never wanna say, but I've never had a doubt  
> It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear me out
> 
> So I let go watching you, turn your back like you always do  
> Face away and pretend that I'm not  
> But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got  
> \--"Faint" by Linkin Park
> 
> Hunger...anger...and regret...
> 
> **Rated T for implied sex**

_“Captain, I command you to kiss me.”_

Quinn felt as though someone had just hit him in the face with a slab of durasteel. He had grown used to Hyperia’s playful teasing and flirting…and yes, the one brief kiss that she stole from him by surprise. But, to make it an order? He was not sure whether to be angry at her presumption or flattered that she apparently wanted him so badly that she would command such a thing. Part of him screamed to acquiesce to her. After all….it wasn’t as though he didn’t want her…sometimes so badly he could taste it. But the louder part of him told him that this was horribly improper and an abuse of her authority. _But she’s a Sith…she can rightfully command me to do whatever she wants._ And something about that caused something to just snap inside of him.

He slowly rose to his feet, his face turning a mottled splotch of pale and red, his eyes narrowed, fixing her with an icy-blue stare that matched her golden one, “My Lord…with all due respect to you….no.”

This time it was Hyperia’s turn to look as though she had just been slapped. But before she could utter a word, he continued, “I have endured the teasing, the flirting….even though I find it unprofessional in the extreme. When I entered into your service, I knew that you had the right to command whatever you want from me. But, as I have said on many occasions…you are not a typical Sith. I never thought that you were the type to blatantly abuse your power over me in this way. And I am disappointed.”

 _How DARE he!?_ A part of her screamed, unable for a moment to believe that he actually spoke to her in this way…like a spoilt child being chastised by a parent. _And he refused me?_ That thought actually hurt…he wouldn’t even kiss her if she ordered him to. Was it that distasteful an idea to him? She knew for a fact that he wanted her…but why did he keep resisting? She thought that by ordering it, it would free him of having to find excuses not to…that it would free him from having to decide. But, even then he turned her down. And mixed into all of that, a small part of her actually felt a twinge of pride and satisfaction. _He actually stood up to me. No excuses, no circling around the subject…direct, forward….aggressive. I almost thought I’d pushed him too far. Maybe I have….I hope not._

Her voice was deadly calm as she held his gaze, “You know…I could kill you for speaking to me that way.”

He met it unflinchingly, “Yes, my Lord…you could. And, in doing so, prove that you are not the woman I thought you were…but just another typical Sith.”

 _By the Emperor, if he was trying to dissuade me from wanting him, he has failed miserably. This is what I knew was lurking under that stammering façade…this is what I wanted to draw out._ She couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips…a smile that slowly turned into ironic laughter. “Quinn, you certainly know how to completely destroy a woman’s ego. You’d rather die than kiss me?”

“My Lord, that’s not—“

She waved a hand dismissively, her laughter quickly fading, “I know that’s not what you meant by it. And I understand what you are trying to say. I have apparently grossly misread you somewhere along the way. I had been under the impression that you felt some sort of desire for me as well, but were just afraid to express it openly. I had thought that, by commanding it, you would be freed of the burden of having to choose. I was wrong…and for that, I apologize.”

 _No! You had it right! That’s exactly what it was!_ He wanted to tell her that she wasn’t wrong…that all of this was just a façade to keep her distant for her own sake. But even as he started to form the words, the door chime rang softly.

With a fluid motion, Hyperia rose from the couch and strode to the door, adjusting her robe into a more modest fashion, before opening it to reveal the Duke’s bodyguard. “FimmRess! I assume you’re here with the schematics?”

The dark-haired Sith seemed a bit taken aback for a second and Hyperia realized that he had never seen her face before. She had always worn the helmet in his presence. She felt a sort of…surprised delight radiating from him before he spoke. “Yes, along with the explosives you will need. I was not sure when you would be leaving in the morning for your mission, so I thought it prudent to bring them to you now.”

“Thank you”, she stepped aside to allow Quinn to take the data chip and detonator from him. She noted that the Captain’s mental walls were up and sealed as tightly as she’d ever seen them and his features were completely unreadable.

“The generator is located just above the Straight Valley and boasts some of the most advanced security on the planet. You will have to fight through it to get inside, then set the charge and fight your way back out again. It won’t be easy”, FimmRess warned, a hint of concern in his voice.

Hyperia chuckled softy, “Don’t worry. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to fight my way through ‘a deathtrap of mechanical security’ in order to blow something up. Right, Captain?” She tossed Quinn a crooked smile over her shoulder, but he only inclined his head respectfully and replied stoically, “Yes, my Lord. I will start analyzing these schematics…with your permission.”

“Of course”. Even before the words left her lips, he bowed once more and disappeared into his bedroom. Her gaze followed him for a brief moment, noting the stiff set of his shoulders, before returning her attention to FimmRess, “Would you care for a drink?”

The dark-haired Sith seemed mildly surprised at the invitation, but nodded, “Yes, thank you.”

Hyperia walked to the sideboard and grabbed the already-open bottle of wine along with an extra glass, pouring it as she led him out to the balcony, closing the doors behind them. She passed it to him as he settled onto the couch and she refilled her own glass before sitting down across from him. “So…how in the galaxy did you end up being assigned to Duke Kendoh? Did you offend someone on the Dark Council? Because being forced to serve that man just _had_ to be some sort of punishment.”

FimmRess huffed a brief laugh and shook his head, “No. Not everyone can be as lucky as you and serve someone like Darth Baras. The rest of us just serve wherever we are commanded….even if that is with disgusting worms like Kendoh.”

“I don’t know if I’d call serving Baras, ‘lucky’”, she replied rolling her eyes, “Kendoh is just one in a long string of insane and/or incompetent fools that I’ve had to deal with on his behalf. It amazes me sometimes how he managed to get anything accomplished with the sort of lackeys he employs.”

“He has you”, the Sith shrugged as he sipped the wine. “And your Captain there seems to be quite proficient at his job.”

Hyperia could not help but cut her gaze towards the balcony doors, “Oh, he is….”

The way her words trailed off piqued FimmRess’ interest, “There is a….tension between you. I could feel it as soon as I walked in.”

She released a throaty chuckle, “To paraphrase something my Master once said….a blind, deaf, comatose lobotomy patient could probably feel the tension between us.”

“Are you….?” He enquired hesitantly, not wanting to pry.

“…Lovers?” She laughed again, shaking her head as she took a long sip of the wine, “No. Though not for lack of trying on my part.”

FimmRess looked truly puzzled at this, “He rejected you? And you haven’t just…taken him anyway?”

She shrugged nonchalantly, “It’s not really my way. Besides, the man holds himself in more restraint than most Jedi. I find it a bit of a challenge to try to get through that hard shell he keeps around his emotions.”

“I am rather surprised he could manage against someone like you. I admit I have not known you long, but you seem a rather determined and tenacious woman.” His eyes drifted over her as he continued, “Not to mention, quite lovely.”

“Thank you”, she smiled a bit wryly, “He has this self-repairing wall around his emotions, it seems. Every time I think I have blasted a good chunk out of it, he puts it back up even stronger than before.”

“Perhaps you should be more…subtle? Given the proper…motivation…perhaps he will eventually bring it down himself from the inside.”

She swirled the wine in the glass thoughtfully for a moment before draining the last bit, “Play hard-to-get? Pretend that I’ve lost interest? Ironic you should say that. Because that’s actually the conclusion I had begun to draw myself.” Shaking her head as though to clear it, she suddenly chuckled, “Why are we talking about him, anyway?”

“That….is a very good question.” He replied as he rose and moved to settle onto the couch beside her. “I have heard it said that if you can’t be with the one you want….have the one you’re with.” His voice dropped huskily as one hand began tugging at the ties on her robe.

“I rather like that saying….”, she breathed as he opened her robe and leaned in to begin trailing his lips down her body.

\--------------------------

Quinn was finding it rather difficult to concentrate on the schematics scrolling across the datapad’s screen. Not that it had been at all difficult to discover Kendoh’s ulterior motive in taking out the generator: not only was Gesselle Organa’s security field tapping off of it, but several other Houses drew power from it for their security systems as well. No doubt the Duke intended to take advantage of one or more of the outages to eliminate a rival or two. Even so, he couldn’t stop thinking about his earlier conversation with Hyperia.

_Why couldn’t I have just given in? She was right in saying that, by her commanding it, I had no excuse not to. If Baras asked, then I would be absolved of any responsibility for my actions. But…would she have stopped with just a kiss? Would I have?_

Groaning with frustration, he gave up poring over the schematics for the moment and decided that perhaps a shower would help clear his head. Several minutes later, as the warm water poured over his head and he tried unsuccessfully to shake the image of her leaning across the table with his chin in her hand, her eyes boring into his, he realized that resisting her had become something of a survival mechanism. Baras was already using her attraction to him as leverage. If he discovered that it was a two-way street, then that would be just one more chain to bind Quinn to his whims. And Quinn knew that once he succumbed to her (because he knew it wasn’t a matter of “if”, but “when”), there would be no turning back. That he would become more of a liability than an asset to Baras…and possibly to her. He would be able to use them against one another. He _had_ to hold out against her…at least until he knew she was ready to take on Baras.

 _But the way she talked earlier….as though she had given up. As though she was going to stop trying._ He honestly didn’t know how he felt about that. On one hand, it would make his life in general easier, and working with her less…stressful. But, he was also afraid that, by the time he felt it safe to admit his feelings to her, she would stop caring about them…if she hadn’t already. He heaved a long sigh, resting his forehead against the cool tile as he cut off the water. _Damnit…I have to tell her_ something _. That I’m only doing this to keep her safe…anything to help her understand._

Having made a decision, he quickly donned one of the outfits hanging in the closet and gathered up the datapad, emerging a few minutes later into the empty main room. _Did she turn in already? No matter, I can brief her in the…._ As he turned to return to his bedroom, he heard something echoing from what sounded like the balcony. _Ah, she’s probably out there, talking to the Sith…._ His hand was about to open the door when he realized exactly _what_ the sound was: the distinctive gasps and moans of two people caught in the throes of passion.

It felt as though someone had just wrapped a giant hand around his innards and squeezed. Unable to stand there and listen another second, he spun on his heel and strode back to his bedroom, feeling a desperate need to punch something. But he knew that the person he was really angry with was himself. _I shouldn’t be surprised at this. That could have been me out there now…but I turned her down. So I’m sure he was more than willing to oblige her as soon as I left the room._ His anger started to expand to her. _I am a fool to think that she wanted me for anything more than just a plaything. As soon as I deny her, she moves on immediately to whoever else is nearby. I suppose I should thank her. This makes things much easier to deal with now._

His gaze fell upon the datapad and, steeling himself, he sat down and began composing his latest report to their Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am such a bad bad bad person! Poor Quinn...I abuse him so much. But, it will all be worth it in the end.  
> I really debated on making this much more smutty....but I wanted to include Quinn's POV, so I figured I'd leave things to his...and the readers'....imaginations. ;-) (Not to mention, my 12-year-old daughter occasionally reads my stuff here...so, I'm trying to not make the naughty bits too naughty. *waves to her girl*)  
> I also had to ponder really hard as to how Quinn would react to her command. I know that in the game, he just stammers "Yes, my Lord" and kisses her, but I kept thinking that eventually, his military bearing is going to chafe at her constantly prodding at him. IMO, they are like the most classic case of "workplace sexual harassment" ever! And we already know Quinn has no issue with standing up to a superior if he feels they're doing something wrong. So, after the foreshadowing back after the tracking station where he got irritated at her and Vette for constantly teasing him, I figured that he's going to eventually get to the point where he's just going to snap. Plus, I think Hyperia needs to start realizing that she's starting to look pathetically desperate with all of her over-the-top overtures towards him. And....I do need to drag this out a little longer because there are lines in future missions that I don't want to skip over...that I would have to if I fast-forward things too much.  
> So yeah...things will get interesting from here.... ;-)


	17. Love Can Kill (Alderaan Pt4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now hear this my friends  
> I'll never be the same again  
> Going to lock myself in a cold black room  
> Going to shadow myself in a veil of gloom  
> I will function, operate  
> I will be a satellite of hate  
> \--"Satellite" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Random ruminations before and during our pair's meeting with General Gesselle Organa. Mostly head-canon and mind-digging amongst a wee bit of vanilla storyline.  
> And Quinn demonstrates that he can be a bit of a vindictive bastard when he wants to be...

The morning sun filtered through the plastisteel windows of the Thulian suite, and the scent of caf and freshly-baked pastries wafted through the main room. Quinn sat upon the couch, sipping at a steaming cup, as he scanned the information scrolling over the datapad’s screen. Today’s attack on the generator and General Organa’s bunker would not be easy, but he had little doubt that they would be able to accomplish it. A notification light flashed on the screen and he tapped it to reveal a message from Darth Baras: _Contact me via holocomm as soon as your mission is complete there._ Quinn felt a twinge of fear growing in the pit of his gut. It never boded well when Baras wanted to speak face-to-face.

 _It is no doubt, about the report I sent last night._ It had taken him hours to find the right words and, even then, he had made numerous revisions after he had a chance to calm his anger over the evening’s events. His first impulse had been to do exactly what Baras wanted: to expose her weaknesses, to report every detail of what she said, thought and did, and to expound on what he thought of her motivations and actions to their Master. But, after he took the time to really think about what had transpired, he came to realize that he was only trying to assuage his own bruised ego. And, though she would probably kill him if he even hinted at feeling it, he actually felt a surge of pity for Hyperia.

 _She was raised as a noble who had the potential to be royalty, then was forced to join the Jedi, where they tried to stifle every feeling she had, and now that she’s Sith…she’s been told that she can have whatever she wants just for the taking. In so many ways, she’s intelligent, mature, and confident…but under all of that, there’s still the spoiled child who is used to getting her way and never having anyone tell her ‘no’. So…what she did with FimmRess…was probably more just a way of lashing out at me in reprisal for denying her, than any sort of actual desire for the man._ Or at least, he felt some small measure of comfort telling himself that. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of anxiety as his gaze lingered on her bedroom door, wondering if the Sith bodyguard would be emerging from it with her.

His question was answered only a few minutes later as the bedroom door slid open and Hyperia stepped into the main room….alone, and already dressed in her scarlet and black armor, the matching helmet tucked under her arm.

“Ah, breakfast is here, I see. Good.” Her tone was all-business as she crossed to prepare herself a cup of caf. Plucking a pastry from the tray, she leaned against the sideboard, nibbling at it before tilting her head towards the datapad in his hand, “Were the schematics helpful, Captain?”

“Yes, my Lord. And it was not difficult to determine what Duke Kendoh’s interest in this affair is: the generator also provides power for a number of security systems for various other noble Houses. I believe it would be prudent to assume that he hopes to take advantage of the outage to advance his own political ambitions by attacking one or more of them.”

She nodded, rolling her eyes derisively, “That does not surprise me at all.” She seemed to ponder for a moment, then enquired softly, “Is House Teral among them?” She managed to keep her tone neutral, though Quinn could see a flash of concern in her eyes.

He had already researched that, having anticipated that she might ask, though he had hoped that she wouldn’t, due to the nature of the intel he had found. “Yes, my Lord. However…it seems that the link is no longer active and has not been for some time.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion, “What does that mean? That the security systems have been down all that time?”

“Yes, my Lord. There has been no sign of usage of that particular tap in months, according to the data I was able to pull up.”

She frowned, picking absently at the pastry in her hands, “I need to call Vette and see if she has found anything yet.”

Quinn rose, shaking his head emphatically, “Not here. I doubt the line is secure and, it would not surprise me in the least if House Thul has the guest quarters bugged.”

Hyperia’s naturally-bronzed skin took on a much paler shade at this observation, as she recalled the events of the previous evening, “Oh….stang…why did I not think of that? I am an idiot.”

A small part of Quinn felt a niggling bit of satisfaction at her reaction. _So, now you’re figuring out that fornicating with the Duke’s bodyguard on the balcony wasn’t the best of ideas after all?_ He actually couldn’t resist commenting nonchalantly, “I suppose we should be grateful this isn’t the Duke’s wing of the compound, according to Lord FimRess at least. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had cameras hidden everywhere to provide him with his sick entertainment.”

Quinn didn’t think he had ever seen her go so pale since the time Vette brought her in after being shot through the shoulder at the tracking station. Her golden eyes darted around the room and she looked as though she was using every ounce of restraint not to run out to the balcony to check for hidden cameras. He had to fight back the satisfied smirk that tried to form on his lips, _See, my Lord, you’re not the only one who can indulge in a little vindictiveness._

“Let’s get out of here”, she said, quickly downing the last of the now-cold caf before gathering up her helmet and placing it back on her head to cover her distinctive bronze skin and auburn hair.

As she turned away to stride to the door, he let the smirk flicker across his face just for a second before replying, “Right behind you, my Lord.”

\----------------------

“Are you sure about this, my Lord?” Quinn eyed the enormous winged beast with no small amount of trepidation.

Hyperia couldn’t help but laugh as she climbed nimbly upon the back of the thranta, settling into the saddle and grasping the reins. “It’s perfectly safe, Captain. I learned how to ride one almost before I could walk. And the public-use thranta are the most docile ones you can find.” She extended a gloved hand to him, though a hint of mischief sparkled in her eyes as she helped him up onto the saddle behind her, “So, even if I wanted to do a few barrel rolls or inverted loops around the Elysium pillars, this big guy wouldn’t let me.” She patted the creature’s reptilian head affectionately.

The thranta gave out a rippling croak, which Quinn assumed was a friendly sound, before lifting them into the air with a powerful stroke of its leathery wings. After the initial sensation of his stomach dropping back to the earth subsided, he had to admit that the experience was rather invigorating. While typical speeders tended to fly closer to the ground and followed established roads and pathways, the thranta gave them a spectacular view of the landscape from its altitude above the trees as it soared towards their destination. And, after a few minutes, the pilot in him almost started to wish that they could perform some of the maneuvers she had mentioned.

Despite the thranta’s lazy sweep of its wings, they arrived at the Imperial outpost closest to the front lines in short time. Consulting the maps that the Duke had provided to the generator and bunker, Hyperia pointed out an area on their path, “House Rist territory. They’re renowned assassins and spies who will hire themselves out to any House that will pay them. We will have to be cautious travelling through there. While I doubt that anyone has put a price on our head…yet…a Sith would, no doubt, be a tempting target for them to use as leverage. Especially if they discovered my heritage.”

“Do you believe that they would hold you ransom to your family?”, he enquired curiously as they climbed into the land speeder they had requisitioned.

“Either that…or I have heard that they have allied themselves with House Ulgo and are suspected of assassinating the Queen and Crown Prince on their orders so that their Lord Bouris could usurp the throne. And House Ulgo has ever been envious of Teral’s status with Panteer. It would not surprise me if they were also behind the problems we….they are having.” Worry creased her features as they departed the outpost and headed towards the coordinates of the generator facility. “For them to get their hands on a Teral who went Sith….they could use me to damage my family’s reputation, or to extort any number of things from them.”

“Then we shall have to do our utmost to ensure that does not happen, my Lord”, he replied as the speeder wound through the forested landscape. They travelled the remaining way in relative silence….Hyperia falling into a light Force trance to sense any hostiles along their route. Only twice did they have to make a slight detour to avoid Rist patrols, so they made good time to the generator, arriving as the sun began to reach its apex in the sky.

\-------------------------

As they exited the generator facility an hour later, Quinn could not help but recall how not so long ago on Balmorra, he had been most curious as to how she and the twi’lek had managed to fight their way through the immense gauntlet of droid security on their attack on the satellite control tower. Now, having witnessed…and aided…her in this mission, which was so similar in many way, he no longer had to wonder. He continued to be impressed at her skills, which seemed to grow in power every time she fought. He knew that it also helped that they had grown more and more used to working together, so their talents began to blend in almost-perfect harmony.

“Now, let’s go pay a visit to this ‘General Gesselle Organa’”, she smirked as she climbed back into the speeder, briefly disrupting his train of thought.

He nodded and started the speeder towards their next destination….which was thankfully quite close to the generator itself, “Even with the force field down, I am sure that it will be quite a task to get to her. This is her headquarters, after all.” Despite his confidence in their combined abilities, he still felt the need to inject a small amount of caution.

Hyperia snorted derisively, “The only thing I’m worried about is if this is yet another one of Kendoh’s wild orokeet chases. Hopefully this ‘General’ isn’t the ‘I’ll die before telling you anything!’ type of woman. I’m not in the mood to keep chasing leads that aid Kendoh more than me.”

“We are about to find out”, he replied as the bunker came into view.

\----------------------------------

The forces guarding the Organa bunker, though numerous, gave them little trouble. Hyperia found that the most difficult part of wading their way through them towards Gesselle’s command center was the incessant wailing of the alarm constantly following them through the complex. Even the thick durasteel door that barred their way gave in easily to her lightsaber…as did the two remaining guards stationed just outside of it.

A panicked voice reached her ears over the piercing alarm as they entered the command center, “My technicians almost have the force field reset, but we’re still a sitting duck!”

A second, calmer voice replied, “There have been several assassinations of House Thul officials whose security systems were downed by the generator explosion. In my opinion, House Ulgo is behind all of this.”

Hyperia exchanged a knowing look with Quinn as they strode towards the knot of Organa officers….the panicked one was a stout man with a flabby face, the calm one was a dark-skinned bald slender man. There was a younger third man…quite handsome in a sort of innocent way…who did not appear to be military, but stood protectively near the single armored female in the room. _General Organa, no doubt._ “Good guess, but you’re wrong. I am here for information about Jaesa Willsaam’s family.”

The older stout man actually had the gall to pull his sidearm on her, yelling, “Intruder!” She almost laughed at the pathetic attempt as she used the Force to snatch the pistol from his hand and smashed it into a nearby control monitor, thankfully silencing the alarm.

Hyperia could feel fear radiating from the youngest man as he drew closer to the General, “Gesselle! Get behind me!” Again, Hyperia had to stifle mirth at what weaklings this “General” surrounded herself with. _What does this boy think he’s going to do? Fight me off with his good looks?_

The General herself, however, did not prove as weak as her subordinates and stepped forward to fix Hyperia with a prideful stare. “Sith? Are you trying to tell me that you did all of this”, one hand gestured to the destruction and death around them, “just in search of my former handmaiden?”

 _It does sound rather ridiculous when she puts it like that,_ Hyperia had to admit. But, this was not the first…or last…task Baras had sent her on that seemed to defy logic. “Yes, that is correct. So I’d advise you to start talking.”

The woman seemed to ponder this for a moment before continuing, “I see that, like myself, you are also someone who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. I will grant you this. You have decimated my forces outside. I had planned to send them to the front to bolster an area that was about to fall. Now I have no reinforcements. You seek information only I have and my front needs securing. Perhaps we can help each other.”

Unseen beneath the helmet, Hyperia’s brows raised incredulously. _The woman has guts, I’ll give her that. Trying to bargain with a Sith to aid in her campaign. Stupid….but gutsy._ “Tell me what I want to know…or I will kill your entourage one by one.”

Gesselle merely shrugged, but Hyperia could feel the first pangs of fear starting to gnaw upon the General, “I am not a commander with a soft heart. Kan’Grell, Prinn and Blenks knew the risks of serving a general. It would be a waste of effort to kill them.” Even as she spoke the words, Hyperia could feel the false bravado behind them. “Even if you were to kill my flea of a servant”, Gesselle’s eyes darted furtively to the young man, “you’ll still get nothing from me unless you agree to defend my line against the Ulgo forces.”

Upon hearing “Ulgo forces”, Hyperia nearly changed her mind. Even if it meant helping the enemy, getting a small amount of revenge upon the House that had disgraced her family was appealing. However, the thought was short-lived. She would not let her own personal ambitions slow her progress in this mission. Besides, she could feel a thread of fear and obvious affection tying Gesselle to her “flea of a servant”. _This will be easier than I had hoped._

“Very well….let’s test that theory”, she said with a smirk as she reached out her hand and encircled the Force around the young man’s neck, slowly squeezing, as her gaze bored into Gesselle’s.

As Blenks gasped and clawed at his throat, Gesselle tried valiantly to remain calm, but Hyperia could hear the fear in her voice, “This is not working, Sith. I….am not…so easily….broken.”

As the young man sank to his knees, his face beginning to turn a sickly shade of purple, Gesselle finally broke to rush to his side, her eyes pleading, “No, stop! Please! Blenks is my lover! I’ll tell you everything! Just please don’t kill him!”

Hyperia merely nodded, but did not slacken her grip upon the man’s throat, “Continue….”

“Jaesa Willsaam’s parents are servants for House Organa! They are stationed in the central tower!” Gesselle frantically searched through her belt before handing Hyperia a small datachip. “This is a passkey that will get you in! Please, just stop choking Blenks!” Her voice took on a hysterical pitch as the man collapsed, barely conscious on the floor.

“Very well”, Hyperia replied nonchalantly as she released him. Gesselle had only a second to be grateful before hearing the snap-hum of a lightsaber and felt it sliding into her back. “But you die….” Before either of them could react, she swiftly cut down the other two soldiers, leaving the servant, Blenks, alone and shaking.

“W—why....did you kill them? And my beloved Gesselle? She gave you what you wanted!” His voice was raspy from her attack and fraught with angry desperation.

“Because they were all weak fools. Just as you are the weakest fool of them all. But you live…so you can maybe learn from this. You are still young.” Without another word, she turned and strode from the command center, the young man’s anguished words following her out, “I am misery….there was no one like her. The only thing I will learn is hate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that coming up with chapter titles and appropriate song lyrics for the chapter intros are sometimes the most difficult part of writing. I was searching for lyrics more overarching for the chapter as a whole, but found this old, obscure Depeche Mode song and thought the lyrics fit poor Blenks quite well. I always thought it would have been interesting to run into him again...or even just get a letter of "I will find you and kill you somehow" from him if you killed Gesselle and let him live. I get the feeling he went pretty Dark after that (or he just killed himself).  
> This chapter was supposed to go all the way to finding and dealing with Jaesa's parents, but I got a bit more involved in it than I'd planned, so in the interest of not having it run too long, I'll be saving that for the next chapter.  
> Enjoy! :-)


	18. Vengeance Through Mercy (Alderaan Pt5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You hear stories of old  
> Of princes bold  
> With riches untold  
> Happy souls  
> Casting it all aside  
> To take some bride  
> To have the girl of their dreams  
> At their side  
> But not me  
> I couldn't do that  
> Not me  
> I'm not like that  
> -"Stories of Old" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Ruminations on the nature of love and passion. And Hyperia finds that mercy and vengeance can be intertwined.

 “This is one of the rare times when I would actually agree with the Jedi”, Hyperia mused thoughtfully as they proceeded towards the House Organa compound.

“Why is that, my Lord?” Quinn replied curiously. He assumed it had something to do with their encounter with Gesselle Organa, but to hear her actually voice a sentiment parallel to Jedi teachings was quite out of the ordinary for her.

“They teach the practice of non-attachment. They do not allow relationships, families, love or any other bonds aside from the Master to Padawan. To the Jedi, becoming attached to someone causes weakness…it is a hindrance to sound thinking and judgement. It engenders feelings that can override common sense and logic. The General and her servant provided ample proof of that. This strong, capable General was reduced to a pathetic, sobbing woman in love who was more than willing to condemn two innocent people to their deaths just so that she could save her lover’s life.”

Quinn studied her for a moment while forming a reply. He had thoughts on the subject, but had no wish to offend her. “But that seems to imply, that her actions were more….Sith-like.”

Hyperia turned to look at him in abject shock, “Why in the galaxy would you say that?!”

“She felt such deep passion for the man that she was willing to sacrifice the lives of two innocents in exchange for his. Would a Sith chosen differently?” He knew he was treading on very thin ice, but after everything that had happened in the past day, he felt the need to prompt her to really think about her actions, rather than just reacting.

“I—I honestly don’t know”, she frowned in thought. “The Sith Code stresses acting on our passions and we will gain strength from them. But, I saw no strength in them…only weakness because she allowed herself to be manipulated through her feelings for him.” She trailed off, once more pondering upon what he said, “A Sith in the same situation would have allowed him to die as not to show weakness…then used the hatred that the loss incurred to gain strength for revenge. _That_ is the difference between passion and love.”

“But this would imply that there is a sort of non-attachment in passion…”

To this she shook her head emphatically, “No, quite the opposite. Passion is a raging inferno while love is more calm…sedate. I love my family, however, if something were to happen to them, I would be upset and perhaps desire revenge. But if there was someone I felt passionate about…and harm came to them, I would tear down the stars to avenge them…and nothing would stand in my way. Passion is love, desire, need…intensified.”

Quinn slowly nodded, beginning to understand her thought process, “So, if you were in the same situation as Gesselle….and it was someone you were passionate about…?”

“I would not waste my passions on someone as weak and helpless as that man in the first place. If they are not able to stand at my side and face an enemy with the same strength, then they have not earned my focus”, she replied haughtily.

 _Interesting_ , Quinn silently mused. He couldn’t help but wonder what she would have done back on Tatooine when the Jedi had rendered him helpless, had his life been in peril. Would she have written him off as unworthy and let him die? Despite her feigned nonchalance at his situation at the time, he had the feeling that the answer would not have been so simple. _Or perhaps I continue to fool myself about her true nature and how she actually feels…but somehow I doubt it._

He left off the rest of the thought for now, as the majestic spires of the Castle Organa that dominated over the House Organa estate came into view. It was indeed an impressive sight, the silver-white towers illuminated in various shades of violet, rose and gold from the light of the setting sun, framed by the snow-capped mountains surrounding the estate. _I can definitely understand her homesickness for this planet. It is a marvel of beauty…..a pity the political environment taints it so thoroughly._

As he parked the speeder in a nearby copse of trees, Quinn couldn’t help but ask, “So, my Lord, do you know of any hidden paths to get us through this like you did with Alde?”

“Unfortunately not”, she chuckled as he cut the engines and they hopped out onto the snow-covered ground. “I can recall coming here once when I was very young….and the only thing I remember is how incredibly enormous it was. We will have to fight our way to the central tower, I am afraid.”

“I assume that House Organa is less lax with their guard rotations than Alde?”, he enquired as they approached the twin stairways that provided entry into the estate complex, each guarded by not only the usual House soldiers, but Jedi as well.

“Organa is, as of right now, the strongest Republic-allied House on Alderaan, so they will have the tightest security.” Her lips twisted in a scowl as her gaze also fell on the Jedi. “Either they have an overabundance of Jedi in their employ these days….or that sniveling man-child of a servant of Gesselle’s warned them we were coming. I should have killed him too.”

“No point in regretting that now, my Lord”, he replied, feeling the beginning of the adrenaline surge that came with impending battle.

“Quite true, Captain”, her mouth curled in a wicked smirk as she started towards the stairs, her own blood starting to rise in anticipation, “Let us kill some Jedi…”

\-----------------------------

By the time the pair gained entry to the central tower of the compound, both were exhausted. It seemed as though there was no end to the number of guards the Organas could throw at them. And, even though the Jedi augmenting them were not experienced Knights, they still provided an additional challenge to overcome. Thankfully, the entryway to the tower itself was unguarded, so that they could both pause to catch their breath.

“I swear…I am going to hunt down that mewling little quim and strangle him until his pretty head pops off”, Hyperia growled as she sagged against the wall. She wanted nothing more than to remove the helmet covering the majority of her head…she felt as though it was completely doused with sweat…but could not risk the chance that there were cameras everywhere in the estate and someone would come upon her image and recognize her.

“I doubt it would have been much easier to get to this point even if you had killed him”, Quinn tried to reassure her.

“True, they were probably already on high alert after the generator went down”, she sighed as she pushed away from the wall. “Let’s get this over with.”

She didn’t even bother drawing her lightsabers as they made their way through the tower, she just idly tossed whatever guard stood in her way against the walls with a satisfying crunch, while Quinn picked off any strays with a few practiced shots. Once they entered the main chamber of the tower, she was not surprised to see a Jedi and a trio of soldiers guarding an elderly couple that had to be the Willsaams.

The woman cried out, “General Gesselle’s warning was true! The Sith has come for us!”, proving Hyperia’s theory that the servant, Blenks, had alerted the estate to their intent.

The Jedi rushed forward to stand protectively before the couple, the soldiers forming a defensive line behind him, even as Jaesa’s father commented in awe, “I didn’t think that a single assailant could make it past the Organa defenses.”

Hyperia shrugged, feigning nonchalance though she could feel the sweat dripping down the side of her face, “They were well-trained, I will admit. But I enjoyed the challenge.”

The blonde-haired Jedi fixed her with a narrow-eyed stare, “They will seem like childs’ play compared to facing me, Sith. You will not harm the Willsaams…I swear it.”

Her lips twitched in an amused smirk, “Try to stop me and you’ll die, Jedi.”

The man stepped forward, “Wait! Please – if we are the cause of all of this death, I want to know why!”

His wife laid a restraining hand on his shoulder, her eyes pleading, “Gregor, this has to do with Jaesa, I just know it!”

Her weariness was making Hyperia irritable, so she couldn’t help but toss out sarcastically, “Give the lady a prize. Jaesa must get her Force sensitivity from you!”

The woman ignored it and continued on, anger evident in her brown eyes, “I knew she shouldn’t have gone with the Jedi! Now the Empire is hunting her!” She stared into the eyeless mask Hyperia wore with a determined set to her jaw, “Sith, Jaesa was our life. She was to marry Organa nobility so that we would no longer be servants.”

Her husband, Gregor, nodded emphatically, “When she….left, we had to sacrifice that dream. We were told by the Jedi that we would probably never see her again. What could you possibly want with us?”

Hyperia could not help but to feel a twinge of sympathy for the couple. _Just one more Alderaanian family whose lives were ruined by the Jedi taking their daughter away. Baras implied that they needed to be killed to send Jaesa a message….but that may not be the case._ Her lips began curling in a sly smile.

“I am here to deliver you from the servitude the Jedi have forced you to endure”, she could feel varying degrees of shock, wariness, and surprise emanating from all around her. Even Quinn seemed taken off-guard by her offer. She could see faint disapproval on his face, but she ignored it for now. _This will be better than killing them…_

Gregor stared at her in open surprise, “You…want to help us?”

His wife was not so easily convinced, however, “No, Gregor, the Sith is toying with us before killing us!”

“Heed your wife’s warning, Gregor”, the Jedi interjected, his gaze studying Hyperia warily, “Sith are demented and devious.”

“Is that what you mean, Sith? That you’ll free us from servitude by killing us? You’re not actually planning to spare us, are you?”, Gregor demanded cautiously.

“Now, Jedi, that was rather rude of you to insult me like that. I am offended that you feel that I would go back on my word to them”, turning away from the Jedi to address the couple, she nodded, “Yes, I am. Leave with me and join the Empire. You can start a new life there…away from the Jedi who stole your daughter and ruined your plans. If nothing else, a change of scenery would do you good, I think. To not be surrounded by all this…reminding you of what could have been.”

While Gregor seemed convinced, his wife fixed Hyperia with an angry glare, “Why you no good – you know that Jaesa will feel our betrayal and it will hurt her…it will fester in her! That is what you want isn’t it?!”

“Parvin!” Gregor stepped between Hyperia and his wife to take her by the shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes, “Jaesa has gone off to a life of discipline and detachment. We will never see her again. This Sith”, he glanced over his shoulder at Hyperia who merely stood silently listening, “is offering us a way out of this --to live!”

The woman, Parvin, glanced at Hyperia over her husband’s shoulder, still scowling, though Hyperia could tell that she was beginning to cave. Once again, the weariness began to assert itself and she shrugged casually, wanting to resolve this as quickly as possible, “Or I can just kill you. I’m sure Jaesa would feel that even more strongly, don’t you think? Your choice.”

Gregor turned to respectfully incline his head to her, “I apologize. My wife can’t see the big picture. You offer us a choice between death or serving our daughter’s enemy. I choose that we live in the arms of the Empire…and trust that our daughter will understand our choice. What is your command?”

“You and your wife will accompany us to the nearest Imperial outpost where you will be taken to the spaceport and put on a shuttle to Dromund Kaas. Once there, you will report to my master, Darth Baras, and he will find a place for you.” _I hope_ , she added silently. _I can only trust he will understand my motives in this._

A soft clearing of a throat attracted her attention back to the Jedi, who had stood silent thusfar, with a dissatisfied scowl upon his face. “I’m so glad you have found an accord”, Hyperia could not but be amused at the snide tone of his voice. _I thought sarcasm would be against the Jedi Code,_ she thought with amusement as he continued. “But there’s still the matter of you being our enemy, Sith. And you killed a lot of good men on your way here. I cannot let that stand.”

“Oh please, Jedi, try to stop me”, Hyperia flashed him a feral grin as she activated her lightsaber.

“No! Enough people have died already!” Gregor interposed himself between them. _The old man has guts, I must give him that._ “Master Volryder, please stay true to the Jedi Code and let us go in peace.”

The Jedi seemed torn, but eventually nodded, “Very well, I cannot attack someone who is attempting to take a peaceful path…even a Sith. Just go…”

Gregor took his wife in hand and they proceeded towards the door, but Hyperia kept the Jedi fixed in a malevolent stare, “This is why the Jedi Code is folly….it makes you weak, stupid, trusting.” Without another word, she impaled him upon her lightsaber, the Jedi’s eyes going wide in shock.

“Your deceit…will catch up to you….Sith….one day”, he whispered before collapsing.

She could feel the horror and shock radiating from the elderly couple. Extinguishing her saber, she turned to them, commenting casually as she gestured them to follow, “The Jedi ruined your life….stole your dreams….you were not the first, nor the last. This was just part of the reprisal they will receive for trying to destroy your life”, _and mine_ , she added silently as they departed the compound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For as quickly as I managed to get this written, I feel like this chapter is just...lacking. The initial conversation between Hyperia and Quinn was going to be at the end of the last chapter, but I thought it was already getting long, so I chopped it off and decided to start this chapter with it instead. It was one of those things that just kind of came to me in the shower yesterday evening, but by the time I started writing it, it seemed to lose something in the telling. I'm still not sure it makes sense....but, I guess that's the advantage of being able to edit. (Thank goodness for that, because when I started proofreading this morning, I found where I described Hyperia igniting her lightsabers in one sentence, and in the very next one, I said that she kept them sheathed. *facepalm*)  
> I'm hoping my mojo isn't running out. Next chapter should be better because it's one I've been planning for awhile now...Hyperia gets a wee bit of a family reunion. It's one I'm pretty sure I will enjoy writing....as opposed to just rehashing cutscenes and coming up with filler. :)


	19. Castles of Glass (Alderaan Pt6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fly me up on a silver wing  
> Past the black where the sirens sing  
> Warm me up in a nova's glow  
> And drop me down to the dream below
> 
> 'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass  
> Hardly anything there for you to see  
> For you to see
> 
> Bring me home in a blinding dream,  
> Through the secrets that I have seen  
> Wash the sorrow from off my skin  
> And show me how to be whole again  
> \--"Castle of Glass" by Linkin Park
> 
> A Teral family reunion....  
> The feels are strong in this one...

“Vette, what have you found for me?” Hyperia contacted the twi’lek first thing in the morning after they handed off the Willsaams at the nearby outpost, with strict orders to put them on the first shuttle to Dromund Kaas. Owing to their sheer exhaustion, she had requested bunks at the outpost for herself and Quinn, as opposed to making the long trek back to their guest rooms at House Thul.

“Oh, you’re gonna like this!” The twi’lek replied enthusiastically, though her features scrunched up at the Sith’s rather tired and disheveled appearance. “You look like crap.”

“I’m going to like you telling me that I ‘look like crap’, Vette?” Hyperia raked a hand through her hair self-consciously. She had to admit that Vette was probably right: they had been fighting for most of the previous day, then spent a few hours sleeping in uncomfortable military bunks (though she assumed Quinn was probably used to it…hence why he looked a bit more rested)…and she was in desperate need of a long shower. Perhaps they should have gone back to House Thul, after all. At least there she could have had a decent cup of caf as opposed to the burnt sorry excuse for it that they were serving here.

“No no no! I’m sorry! You’re going to like what I found out!” Taking a deep breath, she consulted a datapad before continuing, “Okay, so you wanted to know if Panteer or Teral had allied with the Empire. Well, looks like Panteer is sort of hedging their bets…they’ve got one representative meeting with the Empire and another with the Republic. And, from what I could dig up, they’re trying to find someone who can dethrone this new king that took over…”

“Bouris Ulgo”, Hyperia interjected, her disgust plainly written on her face.

“Yeah, that’s him! So it looks like they’re planning to support whoever can take care of this guy for them. Sooo…..maybe you could look into that, if you want.”

“It would be a great victory for the Empire to gain the support of another major House of Alderaan, my Lord”, Quinn added from behind her.

“That goes without saying, of course. I’ll look into it. Did you find anything on House Teral?” Hyperia tried to keep the anticipation from her voice, though every fiber of her being both dreaded and yearned to hear what the fate of her family had been.

“Yeah…” Vette began hesitantly, “It’s not totally awful, but it’s not great either.”

“Just spit it out, Vette!”

“Alright. So, it looks like your f—“, Vette stopped herself at Hyperia’s narrow-eyed glare, “Sorry, Lord Teral and his two children are still alive. He and the daughter are holed up in what’s left of their estate, while the son is out trying to recruit someone to get rid of the Killiks that have taken over. I did a little digging and it looks like they’re trying to form a marriage alliance with House Organa for the daughter.”

Hyperia felt her gut twist in both relief and dismay. _They’re still alive….but Killiks have overrun the estate? How in the galaxy did that happen?! And I see that father hasn't stopped trying to use his girls as marriage fodder._ "Thank you Vette, that has been very helpful.”

“No problem! Oh, and I even managed to trace the holofrequency where the distress call originated through the recorded request he…this Alek Teral…sent out. So I’ll send it to you and you could call him, if you wanted to.”

“Vette, you are a jewel! I owe you another vacation on Nar Shaddaa!” Hyperia tried to fight back the grin that threatened to grow upon her lips…but gave up.

“I’ll take you up on that, boss! Have fun!” With that, the holo flickered out, and Hyperia stood up, pacing the floor restlessly, staring at the holocomm.

Quinn stood by silently, letting her mull this out on her own, though fighting off a faint hint of amusement at watching her pace like a caged animal. After a few minutes of this, he could finally keep silent no longer. “My lord, if I may make a suggestion?”

She jumped slightly, as though startled out of thought, “Yes, Quinn….what is it?”

“Perhaps you could take on the mission that this Alek Teral has. Once complete, you could contact him to arrange a meeting for payment for handling it for him. Then, you can decide on….what to do next”, he offered….somewhat hesitantly, noting the almost-manic look in her eyes.

Hyperia had to admit that she was somewhat surprised that he advised her to prioritize her own personal needs over the mission that would clearly benefit the Empire as a whole. It was so uncharacteristic of him.

“Thank you, Quinn….that is a very good idea”, she said, flashing him a grateful smile. She was honestly flattered that he was thinking of her needs first. “Let’s see this holorecording he sent out.”

Activating the comm, she accessed the recording Vette had sent her. She had seen her little brother’s face on the HoloNet, but when his image flickered to life in the palm of her hand, she almost could not restrain a sob. _He’s all grown up now….and by the Queen, he looks almost as bad as I feel. What has happened?!_

> _This is Alek Teral of House Teral and I am seeking the help of anyone who would aid us. Our enclave has been overrun by Killiks. Our only defense was insecticide mines. Our groundskeeper, Brinn, tried to activate them, but….the Killiks…they….he’s dead now. Please, if anyone out there can get in there and activate the mines….destroy this…infestation. I will give everything I have… I will be at the Republic outpost nearby. Thank you…._

Hyperia felt her stomach clench as she listened, _The enclave? The killiks completely destroyed it?! Oh no…Brinn…._ As the holo faded out, she sank onto the bunk and sighed heavily, sinking her head into her hands. All she could think about the energetic, happy little boy who she used to chase around the fountain at the Enclave…and now…the desperation in his voice over the holo was heartbreaking.

Taking a deep breath, she regained a measure of her composure and stood, fixing Quinn with determination in her golden eyes. “Alright…let’s go.”

\---------------------------------

The trek to House Teral was not a long one, as they had already been on the edge of Republic territory, but Quinn could not help but notice that Hyperia was as on edge as he had ever seen her. Her eyes constantly darted around nervously, as her gloved fingers tapped out an uneven rhythm on the side of the speeder. She only donned her helmet as they came over the rise and the enclave came into view. He heard her release a strangled sob, her hand clapping over her mouth to stifle it….and he honestly couldn’t blame her.

What had once probably been a stately edifice, rising amongst the surrounding trees, facing a courtyard and encircled with marble archways, was now dominated by the distinctive conical hives of the killiks. The entry to the structure was completely caved in and overflowing with mud, while the archways were crumbling and the courtyard was overrun by the man-sized insectoids and their grotesque larva. It was an…abomination. Even he felt disgust at what lay before them…he could hardly imagine the depths of emotion she must be feeling.

As he slowed the speeder to park, she jumped out, igniting both lightsabers and stalking towards the killik-infested compound. He was not Force-sensitive, but Quinn could tell that her sorrow had quickly turned to an intense rage. He quickly parked the speeder and hurried to catch up to her, but she had already begun wading through the throngs of Killiks that suddenly surged to attack the intruder in their midst.

She had become a violent force of nature, carving a blazing path of crimson through the bug-like creatures. He could barely keep up with her, but resigned himself to following several paces behind and picking off any that tried to flank her. It almost seemed as though there were no end to them…but what seemed like an eternity later, the courtyard fell quiet aside from the hum of her sabers and the sound of their breaths, heavy from the exertion.

She strode to the corner of the courtyard, falling to her knees beside what had once been the body of a man, but was now unrecognizable, having been violently torn to pieces. A low, feral growl started in her throat, escalating to a scream of utter rage that carried the weight of the Force upon it, scattering Killik bodies across the courtyard.

Quinn crouched behind a broken pillar to avoid being pummeled by the flying remains, then cautiously approached her to pause a few steps away.

“Brinn….he was my friend….” Her voice had taken on an almost-childlike quality…quiet and almost innocent in its simple heartbreak. She flung off the helmet, buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Her overt display of grief was so overwhelming, Quinn at first did not know what to do. He had never seen her this vulnerable before and it both captivated and terrified him. She had opened herself up to the very depths of emotion that a Sith was capable of…and it was not something that many non-Sith lived to see. _How will she feel later, knowing that I have seen her this way?,_ he could not help but wonder. But right now, she was a woman in pain and grieving the loss of a loved one, so he did the only thing he could to give her comfort. Kneeling beside her, he put a hand on her shoulder and said quietly, “I am here, my Lord.”

She turned a tear-streaked face to him, as though noticing him for the first time since they arrived. Her lips twitched, caught between a smile and a sob, as she whispered, “Thank you, Malavai.”

The fact that she called him by his given name took him off-guard…even when flirting with him, she always called him “Captain” or “Quinn”. He realized that this was actually the first time he had heard her speak his name before…and the sound of it sparked a slight shiver up his spine. _Why do I now…at the most inappropriate time…feel this overwhelming urge to kiss her?_ He almost did…he wanted to hold her and kiss away her tears…but, still he felt the restraints of duty tugging insistently upon him, telling him that he would not be doing either of them any favors by succumbing to this. So, he merely nodded, replying dutifully, “If there is anything I can do….” _Anything…I would do it…for you…_

Appearing faintly embarrassed that she allowed herself to break down like this in front of him, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and gathered up her helmet as she rose to her feet. “I know…” The smile she offered him, though still tinged with sadness, revealed that she actually did know what he was feeling. _But now is not the time to act on it…_

Taking a deep breath, she donned the helmet and activated the holocomm. After a moment, the flickering image of Alek Teral appeared once more in her palm…but this time, he wasn’t a recording. Hyperia fought to keep the emotion from her voice as she addressed him, “Alek Teral? I have taken care of your killik problem.”

The young man blinked in obvious surprise, “A…Sith? How did you know? How did you get this holofrequency?”

“That is not important. But since I am obviously not able to rendezvous with you at a Republic base to claim my reward, I would suggest we meet at the Enclave itself. That way you may also have proof that the job is done.” Quinn could almost feel the tension rippling off of her. It had to be taking her no small amount of effort to speak to her brother as a stranger.

“I—Well, how am I supposed to trust a Sith? This could be a trap…an ambush!”

“I can assure you that it is not. If it will allay your fears, you may bring as many soldiers as you wish to provide protection. I am alone, aside from one Imperial officer. I can promise, it will be worth your while to meet with me. I will remain here until sunset….of Avril’s Fire. ” With that, she cut the transmission and sighed. “Well, I hope that intrigued him enough to convince him to come.”

Quinn frowned in thought, “’Avril’s Fire’…that is the name you gave the ship.”

“It’s also a bedtime story I used to read to Alek when he was little. It was his favorite. It was about an avril bird that was covered in a magical fire that could heal or hurt those it touched. When the sun would go down, I would tell him that it was the avril’s fire he saw lighting up the sky.” As she spoke, she crossed the courtyard to take a seat on the edge of the fountain that stood empty in the center.

She sat there for several long minutes, lost in silent thought, before glancing to him, “Quinn….do you think that he will hate what I have become?”

Her question took him completely off-guard. It was so unlike her to be concerned with what anyone else thought of who she was or what she said or did. But, he could understand her trepidation, nonetheless….this was her little brother who she apparently held in great affection, and who had not seen her in 15 years, believing her to have been martyred for the Jedi. To discover that she was alive…and Sith…it would definitely be a shock. “’What you have become’ is a smart, beautiful, resourceful, and powerful woman. If he hates you for that…then he is a fool.”

She turned to fix him with a wide-eyed gaze, her lips curling into a smile, “Thank you…that…well, I’m glad you feel that way.” It was actually her turn for once to hide the blush rising to color her cheeks.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the whine of an approaching speeder. She hopped down from the fountain and stood before it, her hands clasped behind her back to hide their nervous shaking.

The speeder roared to a stop just outside the courtyard and Alek Teral disembarked, accompanied by a single House Teral Guard. _Oh, little brother, you still let your pride make your decisions. Had I been any other Sith, you would regret not bringing more men than this,_ Hyperia thought, fighting back an affectionate smile as her brother approached.

After having only seen him on the HoloNet and over the comm, it took every ounce of willpower for her not to run to him. He had grown into a tall, handsome young man…sharing the same bronzed skin, pale brown eyes and auburn hair in a slightly lighter shade than her own. For once, she was glad that the helmet obscured her eyes so that he could not see the recognition and love shining in them.

“Captain….could you accompany the young man’s escort somewhere so that we may have some privacy?” She barely kept the tremor from her voice.

“Of course, my Lord.” Quinn flashed her a quick look of reassurance before leading the guard away just past the archways.

“So now that we are alone….now what? Are you going to kill me, Sith?”

Hyperia winced slightly at the hatred in his voice and fought to keep her own steady, “No…if I wished to kill you, I would have done so in full view of your man.”

“Then what? And why did you say ‘Avril’s Fire’? Is this some sort of sick joke? I’m grateful you helped with the Killiks…but, I don’t know what you want from me. I have your reward…so you can take it and I can go, right?”

Hyperia could feel a thread of fear winding through his bravado and turned her back to him to hide a smile. _You always wanted to be the brave hero…standing up against all odds…spitting in the face of danger._

“You can keep your credits. I only invited you here because I wanted….to see you.” Taking a deep breath, she pulled the helmet from her head and turned to face him.

The look of utter shock on his face was both comical and heartwarming, “By th—Yssie! It can’t be! You—you’re dead!”

He looked almost as though he would collapse in shock right on the spot, so she strode to him and placed her hand against his cheek. “It really is me, Alek. I didn’t die…the Sith saved me.”

“But…you’re one of them! You were supposed to be a Jedi! And…why didn’t you tell us?!” His tone warred between anger, despair, and disbelief as he flinched away from her touch.

The hurt in her eyes at his reaction was palpable, “The Jedi left me to die when the Temple was attacked. I never belonged there. You know how I was, Alek. Could you really see me as some placid Jedi drone, denying all emotion? I was miserable there. If the Temple hadn’t been attacked, they were planning on shuffling me off to some administrative hellhole somewhere on my 18th birthday. I would have never been a Knight…but just some Force-sensitive lackey, sitting behind a desk.”

“And…you couldn’t even let us know you were alive?” His slim features mirrored the hurt in her own eyes.

“I was….afraid to. I was pretty sure you all would hate me.” She released a faintly bitter chuckle, “You don’t know how completely scared I was to contact you. I could handle father and Fasha turning me away….but not you. Not my little brother….”

“I could never turn you away, Yssie”, he said, suddenly pulling her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and held him just as tightly, fighting back tears. “When they told us you were dead, I wanted to die too. You were my hero…you were going to be a Jedi Knight and protect us all…then marry the Crown Prince, become Queen of Alderaan and we’d live happily ever after.”

“That only happens in fairy stories, little brother”, she smiled sadly as she slowly pulled away to rest her forehead against his. “In the real world, the Jedi becomes a Sith, and the Crown Prince is assassinated, with the usurper tearing our House apart.”

“You knew about that?”

“I looked on the HoloNet…and I have a rather talented slicer in my crew”, she offered him a crooked smile.

“That explains how you managed to find me….” His voice trailed off as he cut his gaze to where Quinn and the Teral guard were chatting quietly out of earshot. “Is he….?”

Hyperia quirked a brow curiously, “What? My slicer?...” Her voice dropped to a more conspiring tone, “…my lover?” She winked with a lopsided grin. “No to both. He’s my pilot and strategist and quite handy in the field, as well.”

“Oh…the way he looked at you…there seemed to be something more there.” He fixed her with a look she hadn’t seen in years: the mischievous little boy trying to discover what secrets she might be keeping from him.

“Well, if there is, he’s total shite at showing it. He’s your typical uptight military man through and through. I’d have more luck seducing this dead killik than him”, _I am such a liar_ , she thought as she nudged one of the insectoid bodies with the toe of her boot, her eyes dropping to hide the truth.

“Oh, I know you’ll get through to him eventually. You were always so incredibly stubborn when you found something…or someone…you wanted.”

She laughed and playfully whapped him on the head, “You see why I would have made an awful Jedi?”

Alek rubbed his head in mock pain, offering her a crooked grin, “Yeah…but I still can’t believe that you’re a Sith! I always heard that when someone becomes Sith, they turn into this twisted malevolent creature, full of hate and anger. But you’re still…you.” He laid his hand on her cheek gently as he stared into her golden gaze, “But with prettier eyes.” He playfully punched her shoulder, “With those eyes, you should be able to bring any man you want to his knees.”

“Oh….I can…just usually not in the way they would want”, she let her smile turn wickedly feral for a moment as she waggled her fingers menacingly.

“Damnit, but I missed you”, he gathered her into another tight hug which she enthusiastically returned. “What are you doing here on Alderaan anyway? Are you…staying?”

The hope in his voice pained her and she shook her head, “No. I can’t. I was here on business for my Master, but I’m done with that now.” She gently pushed him away to grasp his arms and stare intensely into his eyes, “Listen….you need to try to get father to support the Empire. I’m going to go talk to the House Panteer representative that’s approached us about taking out Bouris Ulgo. If I manage that, Panteer will join the Empire.”

He looked at her with abject shock, “What?! Get father to abandon his plans with the Organas and the Republic? You might as well tell me to teach nerfs to fly! That would be easier.”

“I know”, she sighed heavily, “I just don’t want you to be on the wrong side when everything is settled. If anything happened to you….”

“I’ll be fine, Yssie, I promise”, he chuckled, “I guess I should stop calling you that. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“No, you’re not…but you can call me anything you like. You’re the only person who has that privilege.”

“Maybe one day your handsome officer over there will have it too…” Alek winked, casting a sly glance over to where Quinn was now pacing restlessly.

“Oh stop! You’re incorrigible!” She laughed, but unable to resist glancing over to the two soldiers. “I should probably get going. It’s starting to get late and I think my Captain is starting to get antsy. He’s not made for just standing about idly.”

“If you can….keep in touch, okay?” He took her hands and held them as though he didn’t want to let go.

She nodded, “I’ll do what I can. It would be easier if father allied with the Empire. But if he’s going to be stubborn and keep House Teral under the Republic, then just talking to you…I’m fraternizing with the enemy.”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble. Should I….tell father and Fasha that you’re alive?”

She thought for a moment, then shrugged, “Tell them whatever you like. I doubt it will change father’s mind. But if there’s a chance…”

“I’m going to miss you, Ysara. Take care of yourself…” He trailed off, obviously reluctant to let her go.

“You too, Alek.” She offered him one last smile before replacing the helmet over her auburn hair, obscuring her face. She then turned away to approach Quinn, gesturing him to follow with a silent gesture.

Alek watched as they climbed into the speeder and quickly disappeared into the fading light, only now letting the tears flow freely.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting to write this segment for soooo long now! Hyperia couldn't go to Alderaan without at least trying to see her little brother. And I always liked the Teral's story, even if I hated playing the JC in order to get it. I'm sure there were folks wondering what a Sith was doing, hanging around House Teral. It's just me, gathering details and such. ;-)
> 
> A family portrait...  
> 


	20. The Breaking Point (Alderaan Pt7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface  
> Consuming confusing  
> This lack of self-control I fear is never ending  
> Controlling I can't seem
> 
> To find myself again  
> My walls are closing in  
> (without a sense of confidence and I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take)  
> I've felt this way before  
> So insecure  
> \--"Crawling" by Linkin Park

Hyperia released a satisfied groan as she leaned back on the couch, a glass of Alderaanian White cradled in one hand.

“That….was….wonderful. I wonder if House Thul would mind too terribly if I kidnapped their chef. Or at least see about programming Too-Vee with some of their recipes. He’s a decent cook, but rather unimaginative. I never would have thought to wrap nerf flank with pashka leaves for flavor…but this was divine!” The empty plate before her on the table testified to her enjoyment of the meal.

It had been nice to return to the Thul guest quarters and actually enjoy a well-prepared dinner. The first thing Hyperia had done upon their arrival was head straight to the refresher and revel in a very long shower. If she could have found a way to eat, sleep and shower all at the same time, she would have. Even now, she felt her eyelids getting heavy from fatigue and wine. Ironically, the day‘s events had been relatively light on physical exertion compared to the rest of their stay so far on Alderaan. But massacring the Killiks had not nearly drained her as much as the emotional toll of seeing her brother again had.

She drained the last of the wine with a yawn, and stood. Quinn noted that this evening she had opted to forgo the robe-and-nothing-else look and actually wore something simply modest: a plain short-sleeved shirt of deep violet and black leggings. Seeing her brother seemed to have brought out a certain…quiet maturity in her. It was a welcome change from her behavior of two nights ago.

“I’m going to turn in for the night and get some rest before we go assassinate a king tomorrow, I hope. Good night, Quinn.”

“Sleep well, my Lord.” His gaze followed her into her bedroom until the door shut behind her. He released a weary sigh of his own. He had not had the emotionally-draining day she had, but he knew that sleep would not come soon for him. He still needed to report to Baras…and he was dreading it.

\----------------

Quinn paced the crimson plush carpet in his room and checked his chronometer once more. An hour had passed…hopefully enough time where Hyperia was now asleep and there was no chance of her interrupting his conversation. Taking a deep breath, he activated the comm to Baras. The Sith Lord did not pick up for several seconds and Quinn wasn’t sure whether to be anxious or relieved. But, eventually, the bulky figure of Darth Baras appeared on the holo.

“I have been waiting to hear from you for days now, Captain, what has been the delay?” the masked Sith rumbled irritably.

Quinn bowed deeply, “I apologize my Lord, this has been the first opportunity I have had for privacy since I received your message.”

“So, she has been keeping you busy, has she?” There was a subtle undertone of menace lying beneath his inquiry and it made Quinn’s stomach clench in fear.

“Yes, my Lord. But our search for the padawan’s parents was successful.”

“So I have heard. But that task was completed over a day ago. So what has she been doing since then that neither of you could be bothered to report back to me?”

Quinn could literally feel the weight of the Force pressing upon him through the transmission. He found it very difficult to think…to form the right words. “She…arranged a meeting…with her…brother.” He had intended to tell Baras that she was working on an alliance for the Empire with the Panteer House…which was the truth…of a sorts…but the words spilled out before he could stop them.

“And what was the purpose of this meeting?” The pressure was unrelenting as the Sith Lord continued to interrogate him, “What was said?”

“She….only wanted….to see him…again. I don’t know what was said. She wished privacy while she spoke to him so she sent me away.” The last came out naturally because, thankfully, it was the truth.

The pressure gradually eased off, though remained poised like a stalking nexu, ready to strike. “In your opinion, was she meeting with him for any reason that could be considered…. subversive? Or disloyal?”

“No, my Lord.”

“I am sure you are aware that House Teral is allied with the Republic and the Jedi…our enemies…and that, unless she is actively trying to sway them to the Empire, her actions could be seen as treasonous.”

Quinn did not like the turn this conversation was going…so, while the pressure had relented, he attempted to regain some measure of footing, “Yes, my Lord. I am aware of that. From what she did say prior to the meeting, I gathered that she was going to try to convince him to ally with the Empire. That her meeting with him was not only a family reunion of sorts, but also a measure designed to associate a familiar face with the Sith. Perhaps in hopes of showing that if House Teral fights against the Empire, they also fight against their own kin.” He did not know for certain that this was the case, but he did not think it a wrongful assumption either.

“I see”, Baras rumbled thoughtfully, “For now, I shall keep an eye on them. Currently, House Teral is not a major player, but if it appears they will become a problem….”

As the Sith Lord’s words trailed off, Quinn felt a sudden tightness in his chest. _He had this Jedi padawan’s parents targeted just for the sake of causing her pain…weakening her. He would not have any issue at all doing the same to the Terals._ While he had not been close enough to hear Hyperia’s conversation with her brother, their body language towards each other was enough to tell him that she cared very deeply for him. _If anything should happen to him….she would be completely devastated. If…when she ever moves against Baras, he would make a very potent weapon to use against her._

Baras’ gruff voice interjected into his thoughts, “Now…about your last report…you mentioned that she had…relations…with Duke Kendoh’s bodyguard?”

It took every ounce of willpower for Quinn not to flinch at that. He had honestly debated whether or not to include that in the report, but decided that he needed to put _something_ in it that Baras might consider to be a private insight into Hyperia’s life…as to avoid him pressing for more damaging tidbits.

He swallowed hard and nodded, “Yes, my Lord.”

“Interesting…did she seem taken with him or was it just a fleeting amusement?”

Quinn shook his head, “I do not know, my Lord.” He could feel Baras’ gaze boring into him expectantly even through the holo, “But if I were to speculate, I would say it was only a momentary diversion. He did not spend the night with her and, the next morning, she acted no differently than before.”

“And what about you, Captain?” Once more Quinn felt the pressure increasing within his skull, “How did it make you feel when you discovered what they were doing?”

He tried to fight it, but couldn’t, his entire body breaking into a cold sweat as he spat out the words, “Angry…jealous….should have….been me.”

“Oh? And why is that, Captain? Did she offer herself to you?” The pressure grew even more intense behind Baras’ words.

“Y—yes.” The pressure eased somewhat and it took every ounce of effort for Quinn not to collapse on the spot.

Baras mulled thoughtfully over this for a moment as Quinn attempted to recover, “And you turned her down, I assume? Interesting. Considering she did not punish you severely for the insult, would you still say that she sees you as just a potential ‘momentary diversion’…or something more?”

He had a hard time spitting out the truth...because honestly, he didn’t even know what it was himself. There were times that she acted like she might care for him as more than just a colleague…but, he was never really sure about her true motivations when it came right down to it. “I….don’t….maybe.”

“And have you started to have feelings for her beyond the purely professional?”

The pressure increased again to the point he thought he was going to throw up, “Y—yes.”

Baras’ hold on him dissipated and he fell to his knees, gasping, as the Sith Lord’s image stared down at him thoughtfully, “I had thought as much. Your reports to me have been rather…lacking… as of late. I expect that to be remedied unless you wish to repeat this sort of interrogation again. Remember your purpose here. If you cease to serve it, then you cease to be useful to me. Am I clear, _Captain_?” The emphasis on his rank did not escape Quinn’s attention. _He is reminding me that he is the one I have to thank for it….along with everything else._

“Yes, my Lord.”

“I expect her to report to me first thing in the morning. Do not fail me again.” With that, the transmission ceased.

As soon as Baras’ image dissipated, Quinn staggered into the refresher and proceeded to be violently sick. He couldn’t recall a time when he had felt so completely emotionally and physically ripped apart since his court-martial over ten years ago. _I knew that Baras was a master of interrogation…but to use the Force like that…I didn’t even know it was possible. No secret would ever be safe with him…_ The thought caused his stomach to flip again, but he could only cough weakly at this point. Carefully leveraging himself up, he splashed a handful of cold water on his face then stumbled into bed. He didn’t think he would be able to sleep at all with the thoughts racing through his head, but they went no farther than _I have to tell her…_ before he collapsed into an exhausted slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Quinn...you'd think I hated the guy as much abuse as I heap on him with my stories. Things will improve, I promise...
> 
> For the inspiration for Baras' Force interrogation, I figured that he has probably done a lot of study on the Ravager since the SW procured it for him and has attempted to find a way to use the Force in a similar manner without having to use the device itself. So...our dear Quinn gets to be a guinea pig for this new technique.


	21. Caught Up In Between (Alderaan Pt8)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let me apologize to begin with  
> Let me apologize for what I'm about to say  
> But trying to be someone else was harder than it seemed  
> And somehow I got caught up in between
> 
> Between my pride and my promise  
> Between my lies and how the truth gets in the way  
> The things I want to say to you get lost before they come  
> The only thing that's worse than one is none  
> \--"In Between" by Linkin Park
> 
> Quinn reaches a turning point...

The sun rose slowly over the snow-capped mountains, washing the Alderaanian landscape in a wash of warm light. Hyperia had taken her caf and pastry out to the balcony to enjoy the cool air and beautiful view while she ate her breakfast. She did find it odd, however, that she had not seen Quinn yet this morning. _Usually he is awake and ready to go before I am. I hope that there is nothing wrong._ She pondered at least checking on him, but decided that perhaps he just needed some extra rest and opted to give him a little while longer before she started truly worrying.

By the time she had finished off her breakfast, she heard his door sliding open, so she rose to enter the main room. “Good morni….” Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened at his haggard appearance. He looked ghostly-pale and completely drained, with dark circles rimming his eyes. “By the….! Quinn, are you alright?! You look…terrible.”

“I am fine, my Lord”, the rawness of his voice suggested otherwise, “I merely…had trouble sleeping.”

She frowned, brows furrowing in disbelief. She could tell that something was seriously wrong…even his normally-strong mental barriers were crumbling and weak, revealing a swirling mix of despair, resignation, and stress. Her eyes followed him as he poured himself a cup of caf, then walked past her to sink onto the couch, casually tossing a datapad onto the table. “You should contact Baras. He’s probably impatiently waiting for your report.”

She groaned, sinking her head into one hand, “Damnit…I had meant to do that last night, but I was so tired, I forgot.” Pulling out the holocomm, she activated it to patch to Baras. A few seconds later, his visage resolved onto the small disk.

“Apprentice, I have grown impatient awaiting an update from you. News of your search has reached me and I am quite concerned.”

Hyperia trampled down the brief flash of fear that his words engendered. “’Concerned’? Why is that, Master? Jaesa’s parents have been dealt with. What have you heard?” _Stars…is he upset because I didn’t kill them? I would think he would be able to realize why I didn’t._

“Duke Kendoh contacted me and told me that you were pursuing your own personal exploits and disregarding my mission.”

 _That little worm….but how would he know….?_ Her eyes swept through the room, wondering once more if Quinn’s suspicions had been correct and the room was bugged. “That little parasite is lying. I fulfilled the mission. I sent them to Dromund Kaas where they will become loyal servants of the Empire.”

Baras seemed surprised, yet pleased with this news…causing Hyperia to barely stifle a sigh of relief, “Excellent thinking. As I torture them, their pain will scream out to the padawan.”

She felt her stomach lurch at his last statement. _No…that’s not what I intended!_ “My Lord, please forgive me but…my thinking was that the very fact that they are living happily with the Jedi’s sworn enemy would tear at her much more.”

The Sith Lord seemed to ponder this for a moment, “Hmmm…yes…quite conniving. Perhaps you are right. I shall see to it. You have proven that you are worthy to stand at my side. Which makes my susceptibility to Kendoh’s gossip all the more foolish.”

“So…what did that maggot say?” Hyperia felt her blood starting to rise. She would be more than happy to get away from this place…after disposing of the twisted Duke. She was actually grateful to Baras for giving her more reasons to do so.

“First, he said that you caused an explosion that led to the deaths of several House Thul dignitaries.”

Hyperia groaned, “Of course he would. The explosion was my doing…and necessary to carry out my mission….but the Thul deaths were all on him. He merely took advantage of the situation at my expense, it seems.”

Baras nodded thoughtfully, “I see. I am honestly not surprised that he attempted to disavow his role in the situation. No matter. However, he also said that you had the general of the Organa defenses at your mercy and let her live. Which suggests you are a traitor.”

“Nonsense, I killed her. That should be easy enough to confirm just from HoloNet reports”, she scoffed. _Stars, but Kendoh is an idiot. Here I was worried that he had somehow found out about my brother…but he’s just making up one ridiculous story after another._

“I thought as much. All that matters to me is that your mission is complete. It seems that for some reason he has taken it upon himself to slander you. You may deal with Kendoh however you see fit. If it were me, he’d pay severely.”

 _Music to my ears…_ ”Oh, he will be dealt with severely, I can promise you that.” A feral smile grew across her lips.

“Do what you will…but quickly. Until we destroy the threat of Jaesa Willsaam, _nothing_ else is important.” There was a certain weight behind his words that caused her stomach to clench in fear. She couldn’t help but think that there was something behind them that he was not saying. _Does he know? But there shouldn’t be any way…._ “Goodbye apprentice.” He spoke with finality before the holo went dark.

\----------------------

During the entire conversation, Quinn remained silent, cradling the caf cup in his hands and trying to remain calm as Baras threw out one accusation after another. He kept thinking that any minute he was going to mention her brother…or FimmRess. But neither topic of the previous night’s…interrogation…was mentioned. Quinn wasn’t sure to be relieved or worried. Baras was opting to keep this information secret from her for the time being, it seemed.

As Baras’ holo faded, he could feel Hyperia’s gaze upon him. He knew how he looked and he knew she was worried about him. He had not lied when he told her that he had not slept well. While he had fallen asleep almost immediately after his call to Baras, he awoke in the middle of the night and could not stop thinking about what he was going to tell her…and how it would affect them all.

“Now, Quinn….are you going to tell me what this is all about? Because I know something is wrong and we are not moving until you tell me what it is.” Her tone was stern as she sat down on the couch across from him, but he could still hear the worry underlying her words.

“My Lord….I think it would be easier if I showed you.” He took the datapad from the table, activated the screen and handed it over to her.

Her brows furrowing curiously, she took the datapad and began reading. After only a few seconds, her skin turned pale, her eyes widened, and her hands began to shake. The more she read, the more intense her expression became, her face beginning to turn red, fingers clenching on the datapad. Eventually, she was able to choke out one word that was wrought with both rage and sorrow…

“Why?!”

Quinn bowed his head, eyes closing in regret. What he had pulled up on the datapad for her was every single report he had ever sent off to Baras while in her service. He had omitted so much on her behalf, but even what little he had included in the reports was damning enough….she would know that.

“It was the condition of his assigning me to you. And of my promotion and release from Balmorra.” The last had not been spelled out explicitly to him by Baras, but Quinn had no doubt that had he refused this assignment, he would not have left Balmorra…ever…and perhaps not alive.

She cast the datapad onto the couch disgustedly, “I _knew_ he had to have been behind it. Something about the whole thing just seemed too….perfect.” Her gaze bored into him intently, “So you have been his lackey this entire time? Getting close to me…making yourself invaluable so that you can aid him in taking me down when the time is right?”

Lack of sleep and the stress of the past 12 hours had weakened his defenses and he couldn’t stop himself from uttering a bitter laugh, “My Lord…I have been fighting as hard as I can to _avoid_ getting close to you. For your own protection. I would have gladly begged you to reassign me anywhere else…but then my usefulness would be ended….”

“…and he would dispose of you like every other person who has ceased to be useful to him”, she finished, still staring him down with narrowed eyes. “The same as he would if he ever found out that you had told me this. Because once I know that he has you gathering information on me, then the element of surprise is lost.” She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, “Which is why you didn’t tell me before now, I assume?”

“Yes, my Lord. If he finds out….” He trailed off with a shudder. _Last night’s ordeal will be a pleasant walk in the park in comparison._

“So…why tell me now? What has changed? Did something happen last night…?” She suspected that it had something to do with why he looked like death warmed over.

“Yes”, he managed in a raw whisper. _She may just kill me for this….but right now, it would almost be a welcome relief._ “He knows about your brother…your meeting with him.”

She felt her heart plunge to her stomach, the urge to call Alek warring with the urge to snap Quinn’s neck on the spot, “You TOLD HIM?!”

Quinn could feel her rage like a durasteel beam pressing on his chest, “My Lord, please believe me…I did not want to. He used the Force somehow….I couldn’t stop myself.”

“And what else did he force you to tell him?!” Her entire body shook as she slowly stood to glare down at him, her fingers clenching and unclenching in agitation.

He sank his head into his hands, almost whispering, “I told him….how I feel about you.”

She took a surprised step back, blinking in obvious confusion, “What do you mean ‘how you feel about me’? You never….” She trailed off as he lifted his head from his hands, pain and guilt reflected in his bloodshot blue eyes. “So….what you said…the other night…?”

Her mind started replaying the events of that night…what he had said to her before FimmRess showed up at their door. “When I commanded you to kiss me, you…were angry and disappointed that I was abusing my station.”

“Yes…I couldn’t…do what you wanted. Baras has been using me…using your apparent….attraction to me. I couldn’t…I _can’t_ cross that line. If he found out…it would jeopardize us both.” His voice dropped to a near-whisper, “No matter how much I may want to.”

Hyperia dropped to one knee before him and gently turned his chin to meet her gaze, “Malavai….you have already crossed that line. You did the instant you gave me that datapad. You’re not his anymore…”

Something about the way she said his name and the intensity behind her words drug him out of his self-imposed desolation and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “My Lord, I…” In that moment, he wanted to kiss her…to take her in his arms and cement their fate, come what may. But the small voice in the back of his mind still persisted in dissuading him, reminding him that she was still his superior…that, as a mere Imperial, he had no right to try to pursue anything with her.

The soft chirping of the comm interrupted his thoughts and Hyperia rose to her feet with a particularly vile curse muttered under her breath. _I almost had him…he was so close…_ Irritably, she switched the commlink on to reveal FimmRess’ powerful form. “What is it?” she inquired testily.

“My apologies, but I just thought that you would like to know that Lady Renata is almost fully recovered from her illness.”

Hyperia nodded in understanding. FimmRess had managed to impart the Alde noblewoman with a rather nasty case of Bybbec Fever in order to keep her out of Kendoh’s clutches for a few days. “Thank you. I shall be there shortly.”

 _At least I have killing that nasty little man to look forward to,_ she mused to herself, her gaze cutting to Quinn as he downed the dregs of the now-cold caf and rose from the couch. “Feeling up to watching me kill that wretched man, Captain?”

“Very much so, my Lord. Just the thought of it is invigorating.” His features remained placid, but an almost-feral gleam sparkled in his eyes.

“Yes…yes it is…” She agreed as she donned her helmet and led them from the guest quarters.

\-----------------------------

It only took a few minutes to return to the Duke’s private rooms in the Administrative tower of the House Thul complex. Kendoh was in his usual place, accompanied by FimmRess and the rest of his Sith entourage. A smirk began curling Hyperia’s lips as she noted the faintly-surprised look upon the Duke’s face.

“Oh…come in! Come in! I heard of your success and am so very pleased for you!” There was a definite thread of fear running through the Duke’s false enthusiasm and Hyperia had honestly had enough of accommodating the little weasel.

“Cut the antics, Kendoh. I know what you told my Master.”

The Duke’s eyes widened as he backed away a step, only to bump into FimmRess’ hulking form behind him. “Oh…well, I can explain. I realized that when you blew up the generator, a few of my rivals would be exposed. So I seized the opportunity to eliminate them.”

“I know that, worm. I knew that from the start. But you told Baras I was responsible for the deaths.” Even though her eyes were hidden behind the mask, she made sure that Kendoh could feel the weight of the Force bearing down upon him.

“Yes…I had…company when I was speaking to your Master and I needed to keep my fellow House members blind to what I was doing—“

Even before the last words had left Kendoh’s lips, FimmRess interrupted sharply, “That is a lie! You were alone when you contacted Baras yourself.”

A feral smile curved her lips as she slowly stalked towards Kendoh, “Lying to me was your last mistake.”

The little man’s eyes darted around frantically, his body jerking this way and that as though trying to find an avenue of escape, “FimmRess…you and your men are assigned to me…to protect me! If I am attacked, you must defend!”

The muscular Sith Lord merely shrugged, “If Darth Baras’ apprentice has decided that you must die, then we will not intercede.” His gaze flicked to Hyperia expectantly and she nodded.

“Oh, he’s going to die. That is a certainty.”

The faintest hint of an eager smirk tugged at FimmRess’ lips, “It will be a pleasure to finally end this assignment. May we help in any way?”

“Just watch…and enjoy…” she purred in reply, extending a hand to Kendoh and snaking ropes of the Force around his throat, slowly squeezing the breath and life out of the skinny noble.

“Gaaah…no…you were…supposed…to….pro…tect…me” The Duke managed to wheeze out before his neck slowly snapped from the pressure and Hyperia released him to collapse, lifeless onto the carpeted floor.

“He was a sad, twisted waste of space. Serving him was a daily dose of nausea. Thank you.” FimmRess bowed to her gratefully. “I shall set Lady Renata free, then my fellow Sith and I will return to our master on the Dark Council. It was a…pleasure….aiding you. Perhaps our paths will meet again.”

“I look forward to it”, she tossed him a crooked smile before turning to leave the compound. She waited until they were outside to slam a fist irritably against the wall, “Damn Baras! After everything else, I doubt he’ll have the patience to allow us to take care of Bouris Ulgo before we leave.”

“He did say that ‘nothing else’ was important except tracking this padawan”, Quinn agreed reluctantly.

“All things considered, I do not want to give him any more excuses to breathe down my neck. I’m sorry, Quinn.” Regret heavily tinged her voice, which honestly took Quinn by surprise.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, my Lord. We must accommodate Darth Baras’ needs before all else, of course.” He replied as he followed her towards the spaceport.

She paused and fixed him with an intent gaze, though unseen beneath the helmet, “Even before the needs of the Empire, Quinn….remember that.”

“Don’t worry…I will, my Lord.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really hoping that I'm not going to write myself into a corner with this little change to the original storyline. I'm keeping the slow burn going a little longer...or maybe a lot longer...bwahahaha! 
> 
> I honestly wanted to write more in this chapter, but my brain was having a very hard time just getting down what I did. I might flesh it out a bit more in the future.


	22. The Sinner in Me (Interlude/Jaesa's Ship)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There'll be days  
> When I stray  
> I may appear to be  
> Constantly out of reach  
> I give in to sin  
> Because I like to practice what I preach  
> I'm not trying to say  
> I'll have it all my way  
> I'm always willing to learn  
> When you've got something to teach  
> And I'll make it all worthwhile  
> I'll make your heart smile  
> \--"Strangelove" by Depeche Mode
> 
> The hunter becomes the hunted....and the trap becomes the entrapped....

“Where have you been?!” Vette’s irritated voice greeted Hyperia and Quinn as they embarked upon the Fury. “And now _you_ look like crap, Quinn! What have you guys been doing anyway?!”

Hyperia removed the helmet from her sweat-damp hair and fixed the twi’lek with a narrow-eyed glare, “Are you our mother now, Vette? It’s been a rough couple of days for us both.”

“Well, I’d hope that you weren’t taking a vacation since Baras has been pestering me every day about you two and why you hadn’t reported in to him!” Vette paced agitatedly before them, “He even force-choked me once when he thought I wasn’t telling the truth that I didn’t know where you were! I thought he was going to kill me!”

Hyperia sighed, “I’m sorry, Vette. We did report in to him this morning, so hopefully that’s the last you’ll have to deal with him alone for a while.”

“Yeah, just don’t keep the man waiting again. He’s obviously not the patient type.” Vette grumbled, rubbing her neck unconsciously. “Oh! And you got a message! Don’t know from who…I didn’t want to watch it in case it was something private.”

Hyperia sank wearily onto the couch, “Go ahead and pull it up, Vette. Both of you are pretty much already privy to all my dirty secrets.” Her gaze cut sidelong to Quinn who had leaned against the couch, arms folded. _Some of us more than others._

“No problem, boss!” Vette punched a code into the holoterminal and a dark-haired young woman’s figure flickered to life on the display.

_“Sith, my name is Jaesa Willsaam. My Master, Noman Karr, has no idea I’m sending this message. Let’s be real – we both know this whole thing is not about us at all.”_

“The hunted seeks the hunter”, she heard Quinn mutter softly at her shoulder, surprise and a faint hint of intrigue in his voice.

_“Our Masters may pretend otherwise, but this is personal. You and I are only pawns in their private war. And those I care about are caught in the middle. It has to stop.”_

“Whoa…she sure has guts!” Vette interjected.

Hyperia could not help but agree, admiring the girl’s courage to bypass her Master and contact her directly. And, she had to admit, that she was no doubt on the right track as to both their Masters’ motivations. “Yes…she certainly does.”

_“I sense inconsistency in your actions. Perhaps you’re just as tired of all of this passive-aggressive foolishness as I am.”_

Hyperia could not help but think sardonically, _You have no idea…_

_“This message includes coordinates of my ship where I will be waiting. Let’s discuss this face-to-face. No more nonsense.”_

With that, the holo flickered out and Hyperia glanced up at Quinn, “What do you think, Captain?”

He frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head, “You do not need me to tell you that this could possibly be a trap. Nomen Karr could have put her up to this.”

Vette snorted derisively in response, “Don’t listen to Captain Paranoid over there. I don’t think it’s a trap. I trust her.”

Hyperia merely raised an eyebrow in amusement as Quinn slanted the twi’lek a narrow-eyed glare, “Of course you do. Either way, we can’t afford to not check this out. If she really is there, then it will certainly save us the trouble of hunting her down. And I’m sure Baras would be pleased beyond words if she just fell into our hands.”

Quinn pushed away from the couch and nodded, “I’ll get us there, my Lord.” He then disappeared into the cockpit to begin pre-flight preparations.

Hyperia glanced at Vette, feeling an obvious ripple of curiosity emanating from the twi’lek. Turning to her with a quirked eyebrow, she fought to keep an amused smile from her lips, “What is it Vette?”

“Did you…umm…get everything done with…you know?” The blue-skinned girl ventured hesitantly.

“Yes, Vette, I met with my brother, if that’s what you’re asking. It went well.” She answered as she rose from the couch.

“Oh good…” Hyperia could tell there was still something on her mind, but did not feel like pressing her, so she continued into the cockpit.

Quinn glanced back at her as she entered, “My Lord, we should be arriving at the padawan’s ship in about 5 hours, 53 minutes.”

“Good”, she stopped to stand behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I want you to get some rest before we arrive. I can watch the bridge until we get there.”

“Thank you, my Lord. That is a….generous offer that I believe I will take you up on.” He spun in the seat, but did not rise, for her hand remained upon his shoulder, pinning him there.

She fixed him with an intent gaze, “And I want you to continue sending your reports to Baras….and from here on, leave nothing out.”

His eyes widened in surprise, “But, my Lord….”

Shaking her head emphatically, she interrupted, “No disagreement. I want him to have no reason to suspect that you are anything but his loyal servant. He needs to trust you again so there are no more repeats of what he did to you last night. Am I understood?”

“Of course, my Lord”, he replied obediently, but Hyperia could feel him bristling at the command.

Nodding, she released him with a crooked smile and thumb hitched towards the door, “Now go get some sleep.”

Bowing, he slipped from the cockpit and headed to his quarters as she settled into the command chair.

\-----------------------------------

She was still casually slumped in the command chair, feet kicked up on the center console, skimming over a datapad, when he returned to the bridge. She turned her head only slightly towards the door as it whispered open, to address him, “Sleep well, Captain?”

As he paused at her side, he noted the light from the console and the streaking stars of hyperspace cast her features in a flickering pale cast, the soft glow of her golden eyes and the dark streak of the cybernetics crawling along her jawline, the only contrast. It gave her a sort of otherworldly beauty that made his breath hitch in his throat. In that moment, he had no words at all….he _wanted_ no words…there had been too many words between them already.

In a single motion, he slid his hand along her jaw, turning her to fully face him so that she could see the unadulterated need in his eyes before curling his fingers around the nape of her neck to pull her into a passionate kiss.

A soft moan escaped against their joined lips, the datapad clattering to the floor as she buried her fingers in his dark hair. He slid his arm around her waist, pulling her from the chair to hold her tightly against him. As his hand slid up her back, he only then realized that she had changed clothes while he was sleeping. No longer clad in her armor, there was only a thin tank top and matching leggings clinging to her lithe form.

Emboldened by this, he trailed his lips down her neck, as his free hand preceded their path over her skin to slide the strap from her shoulder. His lips and teeth nipped softly at the faint scar from the blaster wound she had received at the tracking station. A soft gasp issued from her parted lips that turned into an oddly-pitched….series of beeps….?

His eyes flickered open to darkness only illuminated by the flash of the chronometer, its incessant alarm the sound that had cut through his dream. Groaning, he leveraged himself upright, raking his hands through his hair. _Why now, of all times, do I have to start dreaming about her like this?_ He had to at least maintain the appearance of distance as to not give Baras a millimeter of advantage over him. Imagining the feel of his fingers in her hair, his lips upon her skin, was certainly not helping. Thankful that he had allotted himself enough time for a brief turn in the refresher before they arrived at the padawan’s ship, he resolved to find out just how cold the water would get…

\-------------------------------

Quinn had finally stopped his teeth from chattering and hoped that his skin had lost some of its bluish tinge by the time he re-entered the bridge. Hyperia was still casually slumped in the command chair, feet kicked up on the center console, her golden eyes skimming over a datapad when he walked in. She turned her head only slightly to address him, “Sleep well, Captain?”

He felt his heart lurch slightly at her words and the familiarity of the whole scenario. _Oh stars….it’s just like the dream…._ He cautiously approached her and she swung her feet off of the console as she spun in the chair to fully face him, an audible sigh of relief escaping his lips as he noted that she was still wearing her armor.

She quirked a brow at him curiously, feeling the rapid-fire play of both anxiety and relief flickering through his emotions, and he realized that he had not yet answered her question. “Yes, my Lord. Thank you”, he replied curtly before returning to the pilot’s chair. Busying himself with the controls to cover his lapse, he was thankful to see that his timing had been impeccable: they were about to exit hyperspace at the padawan’s ship in mere seconds.

“We have arrived, my Lord”, he stated as the stars resolved themselves from glowing streaks to scattered pinpoints of light, a small Defender-class light corvette ship framed against the twinkling background.

“Good”, placing the datapad upon the arm of the chair, she rose to stand behind him, one hand coming to rest lightly upon his shoulder. “Meet me in the airlock once we are docked. If this is a trap as you say, I want you at my side.”

Something about the subtle familiarity of the touch and her words, riding on the memory of his earlier dream, sent a shiver up his spine, but he quickly tamped down the feeling and nodded, “Of course, my Lord. I shall be there momentarily.”

\--------------------

A few minutes later found them both entering a ship that seemed relatively uninhabited. Hyperia cast about with the Force and found not one, but two strong signatures towards the aft cargo bay. “It looks like your intuition was correct, Quinn. If our padawan is even here, she is not alone.”

A sudden worrisome though occurred to Quinn, “Do you think that her Master might have insisted on accompanying her?”

She shook her head, brows furrowing as her concentration on the Jedis’ presence intensified, “No….neither are strong enough to be him. But I daresay that, unless this padawan is stronger than we were led to believe, neither of them are her.”

Indeed, her senses had been correct as the doors parted on the cargo bay. A pair of Jedi stood awaiting them, both young and male. One was dark-haired and powerfully-built with the distinct calm aura of a Jedi Knight; the other was a slighter man, with red hair and an uncharacteristic eagerness for battle raging within him. _This should prove interesting,_ she mused as they approached the pair.

The redhead spoke first, his gaze sliding over her with undisguised anticipation, “Well, well…we’re going to have to thank Nomen Karr after all: the Sith actually showed.” His words dripped with malicious spite.

The other Jedi merely held up a restraining hand and spoke with an even calm, “Stand down, Sith. The Padawan you seek is not here. Master Karr discovered her plan and talked her out of it.”

_No surprise, there,_ she thought sardonically. _I’m amazed that she was able to escape his notice long enough to send the holo message in the first place._

“It’s just not your day”, this from the red-haired Jedi now whose aura practically dripped with the desire to defeat her, “You were expecting one lowly padawan to crush…and instead, you get us.”

_To crush,_ she mentally finished his sentence, a smile tugging at her lips. “You will serve my needs just as well. I enjoy destroying your kind.”

“Then we have something in common”, the redhead replied smugly.

“I am Ulldin, this is Zylixx”, the dark-haired Jedi stated plainly, “We are fully-trained Jedi Knights and more than your match. You should submit.”

Zylixx scoffed, “Of course, we have yet to meet a Sith who has the sense to surrender. You all seem bent on having us destroy you.”

Hyperia’s lips curled into a feral smile, feeling the young man’s eagerness to attack them, “Admit it. You’d be disappointed if we surrendered.”

Ulldin broke in with, “Not at all. We don’t go around picking fights.”

“Then why are you here, Ulldin? Obviously Nomen Karr sent you here to entrap me…to stop me from speaking to his Padawan. By sending you in her stead, he obviously assumed that you would be forced to engage me. That sounds to me as though he’s trying to pick a fight.” She purred as she paced before them, intentionally keeping her hands away from the twin sabers at her belt.

“I wouldn’t trust you even if you did surrender, Sith”, Zylixx spat out, “I prefer the sureness of death.”

She quirked a brow at the red-haired Jedi, fixing him with her golden eyes, as she briefly dropped her Imperial accent, her voice taking on the placid cadence of her former Jedi teachers, “But true Jedi do not attack to kill. The Light side is the way of temperance.”

Zylixx blinked, obviously taken off-guard by her sudden change in mannerisms, “Who are you to lecture us about the Light side? The Sith….they force us to take such drastic measures!”

Even Ulldin seemed to agree, though she could tell that he was taken by surprise by her words, “You pose an exception, however. Your vile attempts to hurt Nomen Karr and Jaesa Willsaam are proof enough.”

“You sound terribly desperate to justify your actions”, she continued to reply to them in a calm, rational tone, feeling them both becoming increasingly off-balance….Ulldin with indecision and Zylixx with ever-growing anger and frustration.

Ulldin turned to his partner and shook his head, “Zylixx, I realize that Master Karr has claimed that this Sith means Jaesa harm but…now I am unsure. We have no real proof.”

Hyperia could feel anger surging in Zylixx as he turned to Ulldin, “Master Karr’s word is enough for me. I have no crisis of conscience assuming his assessment is sound!” The last was nearly spat at the larger Jedi with obvious disdain.

Ulldin seemed drained of resolve, his head bowing as he turned away, “That is an assumption I cannot make, my friend. I will not engage first….I will walk away and urge you to do the same.”

Hyperia could feel incredulity and a raging anger surging from Zylixx as Ulldin strode from the cargo bay. “You may have derailed Ulldin’s resolve, but your luck ends here. I will take you on myself!”

A feral grin spread over Hyperia’s lips as she met the Jedi’s gaze, “How fascinating. Of the two of us, I demonstrate more serenity and restraint. Perhaps I am a better Jedi than you are.”

Zylixx bristled and made an obvious, but futile attempt to bring his anger under control, “No….I won’t let you goad me, Sith. I….I can control my emotions.”

“Ah yes….push your feelings down, Zylixx. Deny your true nature,” her voice dropped to a near-whisper as she began circling him like a predator, “You are my brother in the Dark side….we are the same. Can’t you feel it?”

“NO!”, he yelled with anger and despair, spinning to face her as he drew his lightsaber.

“Yes! Attack me and show me who you really are!” She spread her hands out in a mocking show of defenselessness and felt a surge of dark elation as he lunged at her.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent him flying backwards across the floor, then drawing her own sabers, she leapt to the attack. He was no match for her, but she drew out their duel as long as she could, feeding on his rage, anger and frustration. _He thinks so highly of himself…he thought this would be easy, even without his partner._ When she felt that his emotions had reached a crescendo, she disarmed him with one swift motion and drove him to his knees, her saber at his throat.

Anger and despair in his voice, he turned his gaze pleadingly up to her, “I yield! I yield to you! Damn Ulldin for abandoning me!”

Her lips quirked into a smirk as she sheathed her lightsaber, “You can never trust anyone who follows the Jedi Code.”

His head bowed in resignation, “You are right. It is so…infuriating. Was I wrong all along? Is there truly such strength in the Dark side?”

She reached down to take his chin in one gloved hand, tilting his gaze back up to meet hers, her voice a low, sultry whisper, “Yes….and it can be yours.” She guided him to his feet, her fingers trailing a path along his jawline and up into his hair as she began slowly circling him again, pausing only to let her lips brush his ear as she whispered, “Ulldin will take this ship back to Master Karr….and the Jedi will either shun you or attempt to “fix” you, unless you stop him.”

“But Ulldin…he is….was my friend…I….” Even as he formed the words, she could feel his resolve crumbling.

“What sort of ‘friend’ leaves you to die at the hands of a Sith?” She stopped behind him, her hands resting upon his shoulders, fingers squeezing ever-so-slightly, her breath whispering against the nape of his neck. “Kill him and your fall will be complete. The darkness will welcome you. Then you can take this ship to Korriban and finally become who you were always meant to be.”

She felt him trembling under her touch, his emotions a swirling cacophony of chaos, as he whispered hesitantly, “Could I not…just come with you…be your apprentice?”

Turning him to face her once more, she allowed a sultry smile to curve her lips, “As much as I would like that, you must prove yourself to the overseers before you can serve under a Master. But I have faith that you will do so. Until then….” She slid her hand around to the nape of his neck and sealed her lips against his in a passionate kiss for a long moment before stepping away, her eyes sparkling wickedly, “Something to inspire you….”

With that, she turned without another word and gestured to Quinn to follow as they left Zylixx there alone and speechless, the echo of their footsteps fading into silence.

\--------------------------

“Oh, that was fun!” Hyperia exclaimed with delight as she leaned against the bridge bulkhead while Quinn disengaged the docking clamps from the ship. “I wonder what he’ll choose?” Her gaze swept over the ship as it drifted away from them, then moments later, jumped into hyperspace.

“You certainly gave him….motivation…for choosing the Dark side, my Lord”, Quinn’s voice was taut, unreadable, as he fought back the image of her expertly seducing the Jedi, enticing his fall with breathless whispers and teasing touches, then sealing it with an ardent kiss. He honestly couldn’t see how _anyone_ could have resisted that. _But you have…repeatedly,_ a small voice in his head reminded him.

“Yes”, a sly smile crawled across her lips, “I think that, had you not been there, he would have tried to take me right then. He was practically exploding with desire. I can’t imagine how he managed to become a full Jedi Knight in the first place.” Her voice trailed off as she pushed away from the wall. “I guess I should go give Baras the news. Even if we didn’t get the Padawan herself, at least now we know that we have her attention.”

“I shall await your command, my Lord”, he replied to her retreating form, restraining a frustrated groan until the door had closed behind her. _If she is trying to test my resolve, she is doing a very good job at it. Why can’t I be like all the rest and just succumb to her charms?_ The rational part of his mind replied, _Because you know how badly it will end if you do…_ He sighed and realized that he did…all too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally left Alderaan! I honestly enjoy the whole "seduction to the Dark side" option for dear Zylixx. He's yet one more NPC that I really wish female SWs had been given at least a "flirt" option for...make it even more of a "seduction" to the Dark side. Ironically, out of all the SWs I've played, I had always hoped, but never realized that you could make him fall. I'd always chosen the DS option, which ends in his death every time...which made me think "What a waste, he'd make a wonderful Sith". So, yay for LS option this time...and good ole headcanon which lets me use all my favorite lines from the DS and LS options...and take it a few steps further.  
> Maybe we'll hear from him again down the road.... >;-)
> 
> UPDATE: Just for fun, I made him a Sith Sorcerer in-game. ;-)  
> 


	23. Broken Down into Pieces (Hutta)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keep it locked up inside  
> Keep my distance from your lies
> 
> It's too late to love me now  
> You have never shown me  
> It's too late to love me now  
> You don't even know me
> 
> Breaking a part of my heart to find release  
> Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace  
> Breaking a part of my heart to find release  
> Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace  
> \--"And One" by Linkin Park
> 
> The fall of Master and Padawan...as the Dark overcomes all...

Baras’ stout image flickered to life on the main holocomm, his booming voice reflecting both surprise and delight, “Apprentice, the timing of this call is fortuitous. I was just about to contact you with news.”

A smile tugged at Hyperia’s lips as she bowed, “I have news as well, Master. The padawan contacted me…bade me to meet with her to end this. However, two of Nomen Karr’s Jedi friends were waiting instead.”

“Fascinating. The Padawan contacts you and the Master has contacted me. Nomen Karr has called me out, if you will. Challenged me to face him to the death. Apparently they are both unbalanced and have become desperate.”

“Are you planning on facing him, Master?” Her brows lifted inquisitively. While he was usually not the type to do his own dirty work, she surmised that perhaps his old rival would prove to be an exception.

Baras waved a hand dismissively, “No. I thought you might like the honor. I’ve honestly outgrown our personal dispute. Though I know that he is hoping that I won’t be able to pass up the chance to strangle him myself, you are the one who has disrupted his plans and hounded his padawan. You will be the one who will ultimately draw her out.”

She nodded, having expected as much from him. “Of course, Master.”

“The duel will take place on Hutta, at the site of Nomen Karr’s betrayal so long ago.” His voice took a nostalgic turn as he continued, “Fitting that it should end there. Defeat him, but _do not kill him_. His torment will be the bait that brings her to you. She is already on the verge of breaking…I can feel it. Subdue the Master and the pupil will come to save him. I have foreseen it. Now go…” Without further ado, the holo went dark.

Hyperia released the breath she had not realized she was holding. _Well, this should be interesting. I finally get to meet this elusive padawan and her master._ Over the weeks spent foiling their plans and discovering more about the girl, Hyperia began to feel a sort of sympathy for her. Their backgrounds had been quite similar in many ways….they had both been raised on Alderaan within a noble house, Jaesa as a servant and Hyperia as a noble herself, and had both been reluctantly forced to join the Jedi, disrupting the ambitions of their parents. However, she did not know if Jaesa had the same problems adjusting to the Jedi life or if she fell into it easily. Apparently, she was doing better than Hyperia had, since she at least made padawan status. _Though that might have been due more to her unique power than her adherence to the Jedi Code_ , Hyperia mused.

_I would be a fool to at least not attempt to turn her to the Dark side. If I fail, then I will kill her…but if not, and I make her my apprentice, she would make a formidable weapon against Baras when the time comes. He already fears her power…though that would make me an even greater threat to him. If I do manage to pull this off, I will have to be even more on my guard._

With that thought, she made her way to the cockpit where Quinn was frowning thoughtfully at a datapad in his hands. As her eyes fell upon it, a wry smile tugged at her lips, “Your report to Baras?”

He nodded, the frown deepening, “It seems strange to do this openly before you. I have had to be so careful to keep it hidden all this time...which was not easy, considering how often we are in each other’s presence.”

She chuckled, holding out a hand for the datapad, “Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken you with me everywhere I went?”

Passing it to her, he visibly cringed, “Unfortunately, Baras seems to expect that I accompany you on every mission. He…was not happy…the last time I did not.”

“Wait….when was…?” She frowned in thought, “The tracking station?”

“Yes….when you were injured. His words were that he ‘did not want to hear a third-hand account of your doings’”, Quinn glanced away, recalling many other things Baras had said as well…namely about her feelings for him.

“Damn him”, she growled as she shook her head and began skimming over the report. “Nice work…but you should maybe overstate my….fascination….with the Jedi Zylixx. Not too much…I don’t want him thinking I’m losing interest in you…but I’d rather Baras turn his gaze in his direction should he seek someone to try to use against me, than someone actually closer to me….such as my brother or yourself.”

“Of course, my Lord”, he had to hide the satisfaction that her words gave him. Not only did she not actually care for the Jedi (which he had assumed was the case, but still a niggling part of him could not help but wonder), but she put him on the same level of closeness as her own brother. _Not as though what she feels for me….or I for her…is what I would call brotherly affection._

Passing the datapad back to him, she smiled, “Once you’re done with that, we are off to Hutta to finally confront this Nomen Karr…and hopefully, Jaesa Willsaam.”

“We will need to be careful, my Lord. Not only is this Nomen Karr a full Jedi Master who actually defeated Darth Baras years ago, but if Baras should get his hands on the padawan…he could easily use her against you.” He shuddered to think of the combined power of this padawan’s ability to see the true nature of anyone added to Baras’ ability to forcibly rip secrets from their minds. There would be no way to hide anything from Baras anymore.

“That’s why I’m going to make sure that she either falls and becomes my apprentice, or dies on Hutta. There is no other option.” She released an ironic chuckle, “Or we die….but I’m not counting on that happening.”

She gave him a light pat on the shoulder (a gesture that Quinn noticed was becoming more frequent as of late) before turning towards the door, tossing over her shoulder, “I’ll be in my quarters. Let me know when we arrive.”

“Of course, my Lord”, he replied as he set the coordinates for the Hutt capital planet and sent the ship hurtling through hyperspace toward their destination.

\----------------------------

Hyperia knelt in her quarters, the only illumination the crimson wash of the panel lights, lost deep into meditation. This mission would be the turning point in her ascension, she could feel it. If she could take this padawan under her wing, then she would have a potent weapon against her Master when the time came to face him. But she knew, even then, she would not be completely ready yet.

Turning this Jaesa Willsaam would not be an easy task, she knew. It was one thing to seduce someone like the Jedi Zylixx, who was already teetering on the edge of the Dark and against whom she could exercise every ounce of her feminine wiles to good effect. But she knew little about this padawan and how entrenched she might already be in the Jedi teachings. Besides, Hyperia had neither the experience nor desire to attempt an actual seduction of another woman. She could only hope that the emotional pain inflicted upon her would make her more susceptible to falling.

Hyperia realized that it would take every ounce of hate, pain and anger she could muster to face the combined challenge of facing both master and padawan. Looking inward, she knew that she had very little reserves if any of those…as of late, things had actually gone well for her. She needed conflict, torment, sorrow and lust to fuel her strength. Seducing Zylixx had only given her a brief fix…not nearly enough for what was to come. So, she let her thoughts roam…like picking at an unhealed wound….

_…Hate for this Jedi who has caused all this trouble…_

_…Hate for Baras for his exploiting them to aid in his covert maneuverings…._

_…The remembered pain of the blaster wound…_

_…Lust as she recalled the night spent with FimmRess…_

Shaking her head with a frustrated growl, she felt her anger swell. Even these thoughts were not enough to empower her. She needed more….

Mentally, she activated the implants embedded into her flesh, feeling a surge of agony racing through her nerves as the neurostimulators triggered the pain centers of her nerves. Her nails dug into her palms as she tried to stifle a scream behind gritted teeth. She kept it flowing as she fed it with emotional pain…the prospect of her brother falling into Baras’ hands…the fury of being used by her Master….the frustration of the unfulfilled connection between her and Quinn…

All of these melded with the physical pain to drive her, sobbing to the floor, a feral scream torn from her lips before she managed to shut the implants down. She could feel the Force throbbing through her veins like molten plasma.

At her door, she heard a hesitant, yet obviously concerned voice, “My Lord….are you okay? We have touched down on Hutta.”

She slowly pushed herself to her feet, feeling as though she had bathed in pure electricity, and opened the door, “Thank you. I am ready.”

Quinn couldn’t help but gasp and take a startled step back at her appearance.  Her skin had taken on a sickly pallor, streaked with crawling black veins circling her eyes and radiating from her cybernetic implants, and her eyes were now a faintly-glowing orange and filled with a feral passion. He had seen Sith Lords who possessed similar appearances, supposedly caused by the taint of the Dark side, but he honestly had expected that she would always maintain her relatively-normal appearance.

She chuckled, feeling his shock and worry, though it came out as a rather sinister laugh, “Do not worry yourself, Captain. It is temporary. Just a side effect of building up my strength for this fight. I hope that you are ready.”

“Always, my Lord”, he replied and let her lead the way from the ship.

\------------------------------

She hated Hutta. She hated the smell, the swamps, the sniveling Evoci, the Hutts, and she hated Nomen Karr for choosing to locate his safehouse in the middle of the largest, smelliest, native-infested swamp on the planet. She took this hate and fed on it, nourished it, felt it bolstering her strength even more. By the time they stepped through the entrance to the Jedi’s safehouse, she could feel her entire body literally thrumming with power.

The small domicile was furnished sparsely, with only a few scattered rugs and a statue of an ancient Jedi providing any sort of decoration to the spartan environment. Upon one of the rugs, kneeling before the statue was a middle-aged man, dressed in the simple brown attire of a Jedi, his hair and beard graying, but his carriage straight and strong.

“I will assume by your presence here that Ulldrid and Xylizz failed in their mission. A pity.” The Jedi rose smoothly to his feet as he spoke, fixing her with an intent gaze, “I knew Baras couldn’t be trusted. As a man of my word, I am here alone….as agreed. But your Master shows himself a coward, sending you in his stead.”

A feral smile tugged at her lips as her fingers tapped restlessly upon her lightsaber hilts, “You say that as though this is something he made me do. I _want_ to face you, Jedi. I want to finally strike the smugness from your wretched face as I take your padawan and make her my own.”

Karr shook his head, the pity in his eyes fueling Hyperia’s rage even further, “You are young in the Force…a mere apprentice, while I am a full Jedi Master. Your bravado and need to taunt me only shows the flaws in the Dark side.”

“Why Master Karr….you’re beginning to sound upset…even angry”, she couldn’t resist prodding at the man. There was a simmering swirl of emotions being tightly held back within him.

He merely shrugged, “Your crusade has affected me, Sith. I’m not blind to that…but I’ve wandered the line between Light and Dark before. I walked among your Master and the Sith. My connection to the Light survived that and it will survive you.”

Hyperia couldn’t help but be intrigued at this. Baras had not expounded on his history with Karr beyond that they were bitter rivals and it was due to a betrayal of some sort by the Jedi. From what she could infer by Karr’s words was that he somehow managed to infiltrate the Sith and betrayed Baras, perhaps. “I am curious to hear more…what exactly happened between you and Baras?” _Anyone who can get the upper hand with my Master is definitely not one to be trifled with. And I am dying to know how he managed it._

But Karr immediately struck down her curiosity, “I have no desire for reminiscing. Whatever twisted version your Master has told you will have to suffice.” As he spoke, he drew his lightsaber,” I have no choice but to put an end to you. Then all will be calm again. Jaesa will be free to provide the proof I need to the Jedi Council of Baras’ network of spies.”

“You mean those spies that you made up in your own head?”, she scoffed tauntingly, attempting to incite his anger.

“I’ll waste no more time with your lies. This ends now, Sith.” Hyperia could feel the anger in his voice and drew her own sabers, drawing off of the reserves of hate, pain and anger that she had amassed prior to this moment.

Their duel passed in a blur of exhilaration and savage power, their lightsabers a blur of jade and crimson cutting through the air, interspersed with blasts of the Force. Quinn moved to flank and attempted to distract the Jedi by firing repeatedly at his unprotected back.

 “The Force….is strong with you. I must….dig deeper”, Karr growled through gritted teeth.

Hyperia could feel the Jedi growing angrier, more unbalanced by the second. Master Karr had thought this would be an easy battle, over in moments. After all, he had defeated Darth Baras, what was one lowly apprentice to him? But both she and Quinn worked together to keep him constantly attempting to guard all sides…and she was feeding off of his frustration, letting it fuel her.

“Release your anger, Jedi….it’s the only way to defeat me”, she taunted him as she flung him back several feet to collide with a support pillar.

He snarled, and Hyperia could see his eyes begin to take on a reddish tinge, ebon lines of taint streaking the wrinkles of his face. “You…will…fall to me!”

She could feel the Dark side swirling around the Jedi and laughed, “I fall to no one! Especially not a false Jedi such as you!”

Her words threw him off-balance for a split-second…long enough for her to use the Force to hold him immobile with one hand, the other thrusting her lightsaber through his stomach.

He screamed and collapsed on the metal floor, sounds that were a combination of pain-filled groans and rage-filled growls issuing from behind his gritted teeth, “My wound….is mortal, Sith. But at least…I die knowing you….did not find….Jaesa.”

Even as he spoke, she heard footsteps echoing behind them. A trio of Imperial soldiers, one wearing the distinct uniform of a medic, hurried into the room. “My lord, Darth Baras sent us in case…” the medic’s voice trailed off as his gaze came to rest on the fallen Jedi Master, “…you needed help. Clearly that’s not the case. He said that Nomen Karr should be kept alive. May I stabilize him?”

Karr cried out with pain and despair, “No! Baras be damned! I want…to die! Then Jaesa will be…safe….” He started to fade into unconsciousness, but not before Hyperia fixed him with a baleful glare.

“My Master’s orders will not be ignored. Revive him…and make him ready for torture. He must suffer….”

\----------------------

She had stood aside as the medic went to work, the other two soldiers standing guard just outside the doorway. She was still riding high on the energy she had built up and nourished through the fight, and she could not stop pacing as the Jedi Master was healed and tied to a nearby chair before being revived.

“What…? No! I live! Damn you! I will—kill you…and your Master! Tear you limb from limb!” He yelled as he struggled against his bonds, his eyes now glowing a fierce crimson.

Hyperia stepped forward and backhanded him savagely across the face, the metal studs decorating the knuckles of her gloves tearing bloody grooves across his cheek.

“Oh…what venomous thoughts you have, _Jedi”_ , she spat the last insultingly, “Please continue.”

“Your smugness is an insult. You’re not my better! I was supposed to be the one who destroys Baras! Who exposes all of his secrets!” He raged, “I am Nomen Karr! And I will….destroy you!”

She merely laughed, a mockingly sinister sound, as she began slowly Force-choking him. “You already had your chance and failed miserably. Just like the two Jedi you sent to kill me. I’m disappointed that you didn’t sense what I did to them. Or perhaps I should say…what they did to each other.” She could feel his anger warring with curiosity, so she continued, driving the emotional knife in deeper, “Zylixx fell to the Dark side….with my help…and murdered Ullrid. He’s probably kneeling to the overseers on Korriban by now.” Karr could only respond by releasing a strangled sound of despair.

Quinn stepped forward from behind the chair the Jedi was tied to where he had been silently observing her and murmured, “My Lord, I have just received word that the Padawan has arrived. And they say she looks rather unnerved.”

Hyperia felt despair grow even more within the Jedi Master and she fixed him with a wicked smile, “Good…I want her raw.” Returning her gaze to Nomen Karr, she purred, “Now you can watch as I destroy her. She will join me….or she will die.”

“Nooo! Jaesa is mine! The glory of destroying Baras was supposed to be mine!” His voice echoed through the chamber and Hyperia heard footsteps rapidly approaching.

“Sith! Your men let me pass, so I assume I was expected! Cease your sadistic attacks on my Master NOW!” The young woman thusfar only seen on holo stepped into the room, her brown eyes narrowed and darting between Hyperia and her master, her hand resting on the hilt of a double-bladed saber.

Hyperia turned her malicious smile upon the young woman, feeling the fear and anger warring within her. “Witness the destruction of all your hopes and plans, old man.”

“No! Jaesa! You stupid child! I told you to stay put! For all of your power you know nothing! My sacrifice was in vain!” The Jedi Master was snarling in pure hatred and disgust now, his arms nearly wrenching out of their sockets as he tried futilely to break free of his bonds.

Jaesa stared at him in open horror as she took in his battered face, glowing red eyes and taint-mottled pallid skin, “What have you….done to him, Sith?! Has this been inside him all along? It can’t be. No one can hide such darkness! It has to be a trick…you’ve turned him mad somehow!”

Hyperia throttled down her emotions enough to allow her own features to revert to normal, her voice pitching into a calm, even cadence. “I merely exposed what has always been there. Use your power on him if you do not believe me.”

The young woman blinked in obvious confusion, her lips curling into a frown, “Master Karr taught me to never use my power as a crutch, but only when necessary. I’ve never brought it to bear on him before…but….” She trailed off in thought for a moment before bowing her head, her eyes closing as a faint aura of bluish-white light began radiating from her, “I sense….pride….and envy. Hate…and vengeance?!” Snapping from the trance, she shook her head in disbelief, “No! What trick is this? I should have known if this resided in him!”

Hyperia offered her a faintly wry smile, “That is what the Jedi do….they mask and pretend and hide. They are masters of hypocrisy and undeserved self-righteousness. Your Master is a prime example.”

The padwan stared at the floor in disbelief. Hyperia could feel her world beginning to crumble around her, “I…I thought I’d found something I could count on. The Jedi….they are supposed to be pure. You’re supposed to know where you stand with them. Right?” She turned her gaze briefly to her Master as though seeking the answer from him, then flinched away at his tainted appearance.

“Jaesa, it’s a trick! Turn your power on the Sith and you will see!” Karr pleaded, trying to regain some measure of control.

Hyperia could not help but be intrigued at this notion. _I have heard so much about this girl’s vaunted power….I cannot help but wonder what she will see._ “Look at me as long as you like….I have nothing to hide.”

Once more, the girl bowed her head and Hyperia could feel tendrils of the Force snaking subtly through her mind. “There…is great contradiction within you. I see….greed, rage, lust….but also fairness and loyalty. You are…unknowable.”

The Sith offered her a crooked smile, “Not everything is black and white, as the Jedi wish you to believe. Not everyone can be summed up as easily as they would want.”

“I…I cannot trust you if I don’t know where I stand. You torture my Master and kill Master Yonlach, but spare my parents. It’s like you’re trying to drive me mad….it has to stop!” With that, she drew her lightsaber and ignited it, a veritable staff of glowing blue energy. “Defend yourself, Sith!”

“Yes…get angry! Strike me down, girl!” Hyperia laughed as she drew her own lightsabers and awaited Jaesa’s attack.

She did not have to wait but a split second before the padawan leapt for her, radiating anger and confusion. She was able to hold her off easily, being as unbalanced as the girl had become. Every blow Hyperia deflected only served to increase the girl’s frustration and anger until she knocked the saberstaff from her hands and spun to deliver a killing blow…that stopped mere inches from Jaesa’s neck.

“So…frustrating! I cannot defeat you!” The girl’s brown eyes held a mix of despair and confusion, her voice reflecting the same, “Was it all lies? Everything? He told me the Light was stronger”, she continued, her gaze darting to Nomen Karr who was being lifted from the chair and escorted towards the door by the Imperial soldiers, “That it was why I could see through the façade of those who were Dark. But it’s not true. The Dark is clearly stronger.”

Karr paused and struggled weakly against the grip of the soldiers as he addressed his former padawan, “Jaesa, you haven’t completed your training! When you have fully communed with the Light side of the Force, no Sith will be your match!”

Hyperia chuckled, “Then how did I so easily defeat you…a Master of the Light?”

Jaesa sighed, her head bowing in defeat, “All my life I’ve put up with deceit and denial. I thought the Jedi would be different. But you’ve shown me otherwise”, she lifted her brown eyes to meet Hyperia’s golden ones, “You’re the one who has exposed Master Karr for what he truly was. It is your power that reveals a person’s true nature. The emotions you inspire force the truth to the surface. I want that power.”

Hyperia could not restrain a feral smile. It had been so much easier than she had thought. The girl was practically begging to fall. For a moment, she considered killing her anyway. Her subservient attitude and eagerness to follow her after one defeat showed weakness. But, having her under her wing and readily available to use against Baras was just too tempting to pass up. “Very well. You shall become my apprentice…and we shall see how well you learn.”

“What of Nomen Karr?” Jaesa asked, her gaze lingering on her former Master with no small amount of eagerness and trepidation.

_Baras told me to deliver him to him…but I am sorely tempted to kill him, or even better, let Jaesa do it. It would cement her fall…and deny Baras of his prize._ But, as much as she wanted to, she decided against antagonizing her Master any more beyond stealing Jaesa from him. _Quinn is not the only one who needs to continue pretending to be Baras’ loyal servant._

Trying to keep the disappointment from her voice, Hyperia replied, “He will be delivered to my Master on Dromund Kaas. Baras will decide his fate.”

She felt a sharp spike of fear and concern as her new apprentice’s eyes darted to her, “But…isn’t that a death sentence?”

Hyperia waved a hand idly, “You are no longer of his kind, Jaesa. His fate is now beneath our concern.” Though inwardly, she could not help but wonder what Baras might choose to do with the fallen Jedi Master. _Hopefully nothing more than I would expect…a long, torturous death._

Jaesa went silent for a moment, her features thoughtful, “I see. There is a certain attractive simplicity in that.” She then bowed deeply to Hyperia,”I am ready to learn your ways, Master. And I look forward to aiding you in any way that I am able.”

“Good. You will return with us to my ship and we will get you settled in so that your training may begin.” Turning, they strode past the soldiers who were prodding Nomen Karr towards their transport speeder. The Jedi master was all but incoherent at this point, “No….this cannot…be my….fate. I….I am…Nomen….Karr! You…are nothing!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, this took FOREVER to finish! (At least compared to everything else so far) I've found that having a new puppy is not much different than having a new baby/toddler in that there is rarely any free time where I can sit down for more than five minutes and concentrate on writing. Add to that, the lack of sleep from trying to get the little guy crate trained at night and....urgh! I'm not entirely happy with the flow of this, but I'm glad to have finally gotten it finished.
> 
> My original plan was to take this all the way back to the ship and their call to Baras, but this ended up longer than I'd thought it would be with all the extra stuff at the beginning (which I actually shaved a good chunk out of to use later). But next chapter...will be....very very interesting *wicked grin*.


	24. A Private Revel (Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want you now  
> Tomorrow won't do  
> There's a yearning inside  
> And it's showing through  
> Reach out your hands  
> And accept my love  
> We've waited for too long  
> Enough is enough  
> I want you now  
> \--"I Want You Now" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Jaesa joins the crew and Hyperia finally gets promoted to Sith Lord, so everyone decides to do a little celebrating...
> 
> ***Mature content warning for sexual situations***

The journey back to the Jiguuna spaceport was swift but subdued. Hyperia could feel Jaesa bristling with curiosity and anticipation, the girl’s brown eyes darting about unceasingly between the murky landscape and her companions. The Sith pondered seeing how long the girl could hold out before she finally overcame her hesitation to speak what was on her mind, but finally decided to take the lead.

“I can tell you are bursting with questions, apprentice. There will be plenty of time to answer them after we return to the ship. However, I realize I have been lax in manners and not properly introduced myself. I am Hyperia, apprentice to Darth Baras. You may address me as ‘my Lord’ or ‘master’. At some point, I will allow you to use my name when appropriate.”

Jaesa inclined her head respectfully, “Yes, my Lord.”

Hyperia continued, gesturing to the driver’s seat of the speeder where Quinn was expertly guiding them through the marshes, “And this is Captain Quinn. He is our pilot, strategist, and my right-hand man and second-in-command. You may address him as ‘Captain’…or ‘Quinn’ if he is amenable to it.”

“It is good to meet you, Captain”. Even as Jaesa spoke, Hyperia could feel a faint rippling of interest in the girl and could barely restrain an amused smile. _Poor man attracts female Sith like flies to honey._

“The honor is mine, my Lord”, he replied with a slight nod in her direction.

“You will meet Vette when we arrive at the ship and I wish for you to be present when we contact my master so that you may introduce yourself to him.” _And so that he sees that you are now mine_ , Hyperia added silently.

They traveled the rest of the way back to the ship in silence. As they stepped on board, Vette emerged from the galley to greet them, “Hey….you’re ba---! Oh!” She trailed off in surprise as Jaesa came into her view. “Is this--?”

“Yes, Vette, this is Jaesa Willsaam. She is now my apprentice.” Turning to Jaesa, she gestured to the slender blue-skinned twi’lek, “Jaesa, this is Vette. She is….” Hyperia trailed off, suddenly realizing that she really didn’t have any sort of job description or title for her. “…well, she is very good at finding things. And can be rather entertaining when she wants to be.” She slanted a crooked smile to Vette, who chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I guess that’s me! Glad to meet you, Jaesa!”

Hyperia could not help but be amused at Jaesa’s reaction to Vette’s very informal greeting, her new apprentice’s eyes darting to her master for some sort of guidance. “Vette’s rather….casual. I tolerate it…most of the time. It is up to you as to whether you choose to.” Hyperia honestly hoped that the twi’lek and her new apprentice would bond. She knew that Vette grew bored staying on the ship and Jaesa would need someone who was not her master to socialize with.

“Of course, my Lord”, Jaesa replied, as she eyed Vette with open curiosity.

Hyperia led them to the holocommunicator dominating the main hold and signaled her master. A minute later, Darth Baras’ form loomed over them, wringing his hands with delight.

“Apprentice! I have just been notified that my soldiers are bringing Nomen Karr to me! What a pleasant surprise! I will finally have the last word with that accursed Jedi. He will die a thousand deaths.”

Hyperia couldn’t help but to toss him a bemused smile, “Some people are just so easy to get gifts for.”

Baras laughed heartily, “I doubt that subduing him was ‘easy’….” His voice trailed off as his gaze came to rest on Jaesa. “I see you have a new passenger…Jaesa Willsaam, I presume?”

It was difficult to tell from his tone whether he was pleased or irritated at this turn of events, so Hyperia opted to play it safe in her introductions, “You are correct. Jaesa, this is my Master, Darth Baras.”

Jaesa offered a deep bow to Baras’ holo, replying humbly, “Greetings, my Lord. It is an honor to meet you.”

Baras appeared thoughtful for a moment, then continued…again in the same tone that left Hyperia wondering how he really felt, “I can sense her devotion to you, apprentice. How did you manage that?”

“I can be very…persuasive”, she answered cryptically. _Let him wonder…_

“Marvelous….simply marvelous, apprentice. There is no denying that you are a master of the Dark Arts now.” The bulky Sith Lord’s voice took on a more formal tone as he continued, “Only the most accomplished among us are named Lords of the Sith. You have more than earned that distinction. I hereby confer the title of Sith Lord upon you.”

Hyperia could not conceal her surprise. Admittedly, it was, in her opinion, long overdue, but she had resigned herself to staying a mere Apprentice to him until the day he decided to turn on her. _Of course, if he defeats me, it gains him more prestige to kill a Lord than a mere Apprentice. Or he’s just fattening me up, trying to retain my trust. Either way, I doubt this has anything to do with him wanting to bestow more power upon me._ “I am honored, my Lord.” She replied, bowing deeply to him.

“Through your exemplary service, you honor yourself. Now, you and your crew may take a few days to celebrate as you see fit. Then, when you are done, return to me on Dromund Kaas. I have great plans for us.” Hyperia bowed once more as the holo flickered off.

“Congratulations!” Vette piped up first, “About damn time, I say!”

“Indeed”, Quinn added, “You are more than deserving of this honor.”

Jaesa merely bowed, seeming unsure for a moment before replying, “Congratulations, my master.”

Vette hitched a thumb at Jaesa, her eyes darting to Hyperia questioningly, “You want me to go show Jaesa to her quarters?” She paused for a moment as though debating something, then blurted out, “And…celebration on Nar Shaddaa? Pretty please? Since it’s just the next planet over? You said you owed me another vacation after the…uh…thing on Alderaan.”

Hyperia laughed softly, “Yes to both.” She cut her eyes over to Quinn who merely nodded silently and made his way to the bridge.

\-----------------------

Mere minutes later, the Avril’s Fire docked at Mezenti Spaceport. Vette was practically bouncing with energetic anticipation, Jaesa at her side. Hyperia had allowed the girl to borrow one of her own outfits to replace her plain Jedi robes for their excursion. She had to admit her new apprentice looked the part in the black-and-crimson hooded crop top that she had worn on Tatooine. Vette had offered to take her shopping for new clothes and Hyperia had easily acquiesced. She couldn’t let the girl continue to raid her closet, after all. And she hoped that Vette would be able to keep Jaesa out of too much trouble. She had been sheltered with the Jedi for so long, and Hyperia knew…and could feel…that her new apprentice was eager to stretch her wings and savor the pleasures she had been so long denied.

As Hyperia emerged from her quarters, Vette frowned, noting that the she had changed into a simple black silk tank top and loose matching pants. “You’re not going out with us?”

“I’m tired, Vette. It’s been a very long day. We can all go have a proper celebration tomorrow. Tonight, you and Jaesa can have a girl’s night out together.”

“Oh…alright. I guess we’ll be fine without you and Captain Stick-in-the-Mud. C’mon Jaesa. Let’s go.” She beckoned Jaesa to follow and the two young women disappeared down the ramp.

Hyperia flopped unceremoniously onto the lounge with a weary sigh as Quinn emerged from the cockpit. “I assume they’ve already left?”

She chuckled, unable to resist taking a poke at him, “What? Did you want to go with them?”

His face pinched in obvious disgust, “I’d rather drink a Hutt’s bath water, my Lord.”

“Well, we are on a Hutt planet, so I’m sure that could be arranged.” She replied teasingly.

He tossed her a mock-annoyed look then appeared briefly thoughtful, before turning to head towards his quarters, “A moment, my Lord.”

A minute later, he emerged back onto the main deck, holding a bottle and two glasses, setting all on the table before her. “I thought that this would be an appropriate occasion to finally open this.”

Her eyes lit up with delight, “The Emara 3653!”

“That is…if you’re not too tired?” He paused with the stopper halfway out of the bottle, one brow raised inquisitively at her.

She chuckled softly, “No….I was….slightly lying when I said that I was. I’m just not in the mood to run around Nar Shaddaa tonight. Besides, I think Vette and Jaesa will get along well….and perhaps keep one another out of too much trouble.”

“A Sith apprentice and a twi’lek thief together on the streets of Nar Shaddaa? I’m sure they’ll cause no trouble at all”, Quinn said sardonically as he poured them each a glass of the amber wine.

Hyperia quirked a brow at him as she lifted her glass, “Was that….sarcasm, Captain? Nice to see you’re expanding your talents.”

He looked as though he wanted to respond, but opted against it as he lifted his glass to hers, “To you, and your elevation to Sith Lord.”

“And to you….without whom, I don’t know if I could have managed it so well”, she replied, tapping her glass to his with a crystalline chime.

“You honor me, my Lord.” He took a small sip to conceal his self-consciousness at the compliment, “Now that you have the girl, your power base is growing. Do you know where you will set your sights next?”

She took a long pull of the sweet wine, her gaze growing thoughtfully distant, “For now, we continue to go where Baras directs us. But, I promise you….it will not be long before we set our sights on him. I grow tired of constantly living under his watchful shadow.” She canted her gaze back to him, “As I am sure you are as well.”

“You do not even know, my Lord”, he murmured softly before draining his glass in one swig.

“I think I do…in a sense”, she replied, leaning over to refill both his glass and her own. “He has put you in a position where you cannot win, regardless of what you choose. If you did as he wished and remained distant from me while encouraging my attentions, then he would use my attachment to you against me. No doubt by causing harm to you in some way to hurt me. If you refused to encourage me, then you would cease to be useful to him in that regard and he would eliminate you in favor of some other, more tempting bait. If you returned my affections, then not only would you become less useful to him since your reports on me would be biased, but he could also try to use us against one another.”

Quinn blinked over the rim of the glass in obvious surprise, “You….have actually perceived it quite accurately, my Lord. And…I hope it helps you to understand why….” He took another long sip, attempting to fortify his courage, “…I continue to keep my distance.”

She shook her head with a faintly ironic chuckle, “Yes…and no. Baras has put you into a position where, no matter what you do, you’re at his mercy. This is me speaking as a Sith, of course, but if I were in the same position, I would choose the option that at least is the honest one….as well as the one that allows me to enjoy myself before the hammer falls.”

He once more drained his glass, placing it back on the table as he glanced away from her with a sigh, “You make it very hard to resist.”

“Then don’t”, she fixed him with an intent gaze, as though with the force of will, she could make him look at her. She wanted to say more, but decided that she’d done enough talking already. It was up to him now to decide what he really wanted.

After a moment, he turned back to her to regard her through a look that was unreadable, though Hyperia could feel his mental walls disintegrating under an onslaught of desire a split second before he reached out to pull her to him, his lips clinging eagerly to hers. She felt a surge of elation that dispelled whatever weariness had been previously plaguing her as she returned the kiss with passion, one hand grasping the front of his uniform, the other snaking fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck to hold him to her.

Quinn pulled away for only a brief moment, the dream of two days ago asserting itself suddenly in his mind, and trailed his fingertips along her jaw, lightly caressing the cool metal of the cybernetics imbedded along it. _Please do not let this be another dream_ , he silently pleaded as his fingertips continued down her neck and slowly over her shoulder to slide the strap from it.

A quiet moan escaped her lips as his own traced his fingers’ path down her neck and to the faint scar on her shoulder. Lightly, he traced its outline with his lips and tongue before venturing lower, gently tugging at her shirt. She quickly aided him in his progress by pulling her arm free of the strap, baring her breast to the eager attentions of his lips and fingertips. Her fingers entwined in his hair as a gasp escaped her parted lips, her body arching against him.

They had both been so engrossed in each other that neither had heard the distinct metallic footsteps entering the room. “Oh my!” The voice of Too-Vee exclaimed with surprise.

Quinn’s head suddenly snapped up, scarlet coloring his face as he gaped at the droid. Hyperia tossed a deadly look at Too-Vee who produced a frightened squawk and quickly fled the room, then grasped Quinn’s chin to bring his attention back to her, “Don’t…you…even….THINK…about stopping.” Her eyes glinted with a mixture of passion and amusement.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, my Lord”, his voice was raspy with desire. “But…perhaps somewhere more private would be in order?”

“Good idea”, she replied and pushed from the couch, heedless of the fact that she was nearly half-naked, and led him into her quarters, sealing the door behind them. She then swiftly took the initiative and pushed him back against the door, heatedly sealing her lips to his as she finished pulling off her shirt and tossed it into the corner of the room.

His hands snaked around her waist, enjoying the feel of her bare skin against his fingers as he began tugging at the edge of her pants. The silken garment fell easily to the floor and she stepped out of it, kicking it away before pressing herself completely against him, taking a sort of perverse enjoyment in the feeling of the roughness of his uniform against her naked skin.

Breathlessly they parted and he gently pushed her away from him to let his gaze slide over her body. The crimson lights of the room bathed her in a sort of supernatural radiance, the faint glow of her golden eyes adding to the image of an otherworldly spirit of the Dark. He almost, in that moment, wanted to rush from the room from the sheer overwhelming thought of _I am not worthy of this…of her._ But the unrestrained desire in her eyes…the raw _need_ in them took his breath away and he found he could only stare in wonder as she took his hand and led him to the bed, pushing him down to sit upon the edge of it.

“We seem to have a problem here, Captain”, she said, her voice husky with passion, as she ran her fingers teasingly over the front of his jacket, pausing to unfasten the belt cinching the waist. “You’re still dressed.”

He could barely breathe as he attempted to form words while drinking in the image of her naked body so close to his. “I…apologize, my Lord. I shall….have to remedy that.” With trembling hands, he stood and assisted her in divesting himself of his uniform before she pushed him back down to sit upon the edge of the bed.

Now it was her turn to silently admire him. There was a naked hunger in her gaze as her eyes drifted over his toned body. She had only seen him unclothed once, for a brief moment, but that situation paled immeasurably in comparison. After so much tension and stress and wanting, he was finally hers for the taking….and, though he may not have realized it, she knew that the opposite was also true.

Unable to stand the anticipation another moment, she took his face in her hands and kissed him passionately, her tongue flicking over his, as she climbed onto his lap. She felt him moan against her lips as she guided him between her legs and slowly lowered herself upon him, sealing her thighs against his. She initially let him take the lead, feeling his hips gently thrust against her…but eventually, as they had always done outside the bedroom, they found each other’s rhythm and eventually moved together in perfect harmony.

It felt as though time had stood still, their reality enveloped by the press of skin against skin as they clung to one another as though striving to meld into one single entity, the utter bliss of the long, languid movements inside of her, and the sound of their breathless moans of pleasure. Either of them could have increased the pace and driven them both to climax, but there was a sort of unspoken understanding that they shared to prolong this moment for as long as possible, no matter how tormenting it may become.

Hyperia buried her face against his neck, nuzzling gently as she released a trembling sigh…a sigh that turned into a startled, yet enthusiastic yelp as he gave her a teasing thrust. His eyes glinted wickedly as he whispered, “I don’t want you to fall asleep, my Lord.”

She tossed him a sly smirk, nipping playfully at his ear, “That’s the last thing I want to do.” She impishly traced his collarbone with her fingertips, “And it seems rather inappropriate for you to be calling me ‘my Lord’ in this position. Or have you forgotten my name already?” She fixed him with a sulky mock-pout.

“Hyperia”, he whispered seductively in her ear, accompanying the sound with another sharp thrust. She gasped with delight, both at the sound of her name coming from his lips (which he had never spoken before this moment) and the sudden jolt of pleasure the accompanying motion engendered.

She returned the favor by leaning in to trace her tongue around the folds of his ear before breathing his name into it, “Malavai”. This seemed to inflame him even further and his thrusts became faster and harder, Hyperia’s own hips striving to match his pace. Reality again faded into the encompassing sounds of flesh against flesh and their own gasping cries of passion as they clung to one other, and their senses fled into the realm of blind ecstasy as they reached the pinnacle of climax.

They remained there, locked in one another’s embrace for several minutes, bodies trembling with the afterglow of their love-making, fingers buried in the other’s hair, lips gently caressing each other’s neck and shoulders. Hyperia released a contented sigh as Quinn stroked her hair. “Why did we have to wait this long?”

Quinn offered a faint, bitter chuckle as he rested his forehead against hers, “Because I was an idiot.”

She flashed him a crooked grin, “You will get no argument from me about that!” Before he could respond, she tilted his chin up to press another brief, yet passionate kiss upon his lips. “But I’m glad you finally came to your senses.”

“As am I, my L—Hyperia, as am I”, he whispered contentedly as he laid back on the bed, pulling her down with him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes...finally! I think I've tormented everyone long enough. ;-) This scenario has been teasing me for forever now and I finally decided that this little interlude in the story was the perfect place for it.  
> I didn't go full-on smut because I wanted it to be a special romantic moment, not pornographic, so wasn't entirely sure how to rate it, so I'm sticking with the "NR" for the moment. There will be more of this to look forward to (some of it with a naughtier twist), I promise. ;-)  
> Next chapter will switch POVs to Jaesa and Vette's night on the town for a little fun fluff.


	25. Girls' Night Out (Nar Shaddaa Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every single night we fight  
> To get a little high on life  
> To get a little something right  
> Something real, at least we try
> 
> Time after time  
> try dodging all the douche-bag guys  
> Try trading all the wasted times  
> For something real in this crazy life
> 
> I just hope some people see  
> There's nothing that I'm trying to be  
> Let me just stop all the shit talk  
> I know I'm the new bitch on the block  
> \--"Crazy Beautiful Life" by Ke$ha
> 
> Vette finds out that taking a Sith apprentice out for a night on the town isn't all it's cracked up to be.

**_Meanwhile, on Nar Shaddaa…_ **

“Jaesa, Jaesa, Jaesa”, Vette uttered, sinking her head into one palm in obvious frustration, “You really need to make up your mind. We can’t do this all night long!”

The two girls were both surrounded by cast-off clothing of all styles and colors, Vette seated on a bench in front of the store’s dressing rooms, and Jaesa looking as equally frustrated at the various selections before her.

“I just don’t know!” The dark-haired Sith apprentice fumed. “I’ve been wearing Jedi robes almost all my life! And even before then, everyone wanted me to dress modest ‘like a proper lady’…even though I was only a servant. I need to break loose! But….”

“But you’re not comfortable enough for it yet?” Vette stood, patting he girl on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. You just need to find the right balance between ‘Jedi’ and….Hutt’s dancer. Hyper—I mean Lord Hyperia dresses pretty nice.” The twi’lek gestured to the hooded crop top Hyperia had let Jaesa borrow for their excursion, “I mean, that suits you pretty well. It says ‘Sith’ and it’s kind of sexy, but not really over-the-top. Just find more stuff like that. Maybe mix some of the revealing stuff with something more practical.”

Jaesa huffed again in impatient exasperation and gathered up all the clothes in her arms before stomping back into the dressing room. The next several minutes were filled with the sounds of rustling fabric, accompanied by repeated and ever-increasingly-annoyed exclamations of “No”, “Maybe”, “Ugh!”, “Definitely NOT!” Several articles of clothing went soaring over the dressing room door to land a farther distance away than if merely thrown, leading Vette to believe that Jaesa had to be using the Force. _At least she’s not getting too destructive._

Vette tossed an apologetic glance to the sales girls who were staring wide-eyed at the spectacle with a mix of fear and irritation as they gathered up the discarded clothing. She muttered under her breath, “Next time, Hyperia gets to take her shopping.”

After an indeterminable amount of time later, Jaesa finally emerged from the dressing with a few pieces of clothing folded neatly in her arms. “Okay, I think I’m good now.”

Releasing a heavy sigh of relief, Vette pushed from the bench and accompanied the girl in paying for her new wardrobe and arranging for its delivery to the Avril’s Fire. Once their business was completed, Vette flashed a sly grin to Jaesa, “So….ready to go explore Nar Shaddaa?”

“Definitely!” Jaesa instantly perked up, her brown eyes glinting with excited anticipation.

“Great!” Vette flagged down a taxi speeder and stated “Slippery Slopes!” to the driver as the pair climbed in.

A few minutes later they were dropped off at the doorstep of the Promenade cantina, neon holos lining the hallway entrance that descended into the cantina itself. Music echoed through the place, growing ever louder until they emerged into the main room where a band was playing on the large stage.

Vette glanced over to Jaesa, noting that the girl had suddenly stopped in her tracks and was gaping openly at the enormous space lit by flashing neon lights of every color. The twi’lek nudged her with a small chuckle, “Close your mouth, Jaesa, or someone’s going to toss something in it.” Her nose wrinkled faintly, “And knowing this place, it probably wouldn’t be anything pleasant.”

“Sorry”, Jaesa mumbled apologetically, snapping her mouth closed, though her eyes could not stop darting about the place, taking in the riot of color, sounds, and smells. “I’ve….uh…never been in a cantina before.”

“Really?!” Vette’s expression radiated surprise for a moment before she shook her head, recalling what Hyperia had told her about the girl, “That’s right. You were pretty sheltered all your life, weren’t you?”

A hint of bitter resentment crept into Jaesa’s voice, “Yes. Even when Nomen Karr took me to track down Baras’ spies, he made sure that we avoided the…seedier places. Or at least, he never let me go with him if he needed to check them out.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about him anymore!” Vette’s eyes were also casting about the main room, as though looking for something…or someone. Her gaze settled on a trio of aliens, an Arconan flanked by two Duros, loitering near one of the elevators to the upper levels. “Listen, I have some….business to take care of real quick. Go grab a drink, hang out at the bar….I’ll be right there.”

Jaesa tossed her a questioning look before glancing towards the bar. “Um….what do you think should I order?”

“Hmmm…” Vette’s lips twisted in thought, “I’m guessing you’ve not touched a drink in your life, right?”

“I had a sip of champagne when I was 8 at one of the Organa parties.” Jaesa cringed even as she said it. _I am so lame_ , she couldn’t help but think.

“Wow….you were sheltered”, Vette replied in amazement. “Then, if I were you, I’d stick with a glass of wine. Alderaanian White, maybe?”

“Ugh! I want nothing to do with that wretched planet ever again!” Jaesa spat, her eyes narrowed, “I wish I could burn it all to the ground!”

Vette’s eyes went wide, “Whoa! Don’t ever say that around Lord Hyperia!”

“Why not?” Jaesa’s tone never wavered from the palpable hatred.

“Because she’s from Alderaan too...but she doesn’t hate it like you apparently do.” Vette briefly second-guessed her choice to tell this to Jaesa, but figured _What harm can it do? And maybe they can find some common ground through it._

“Fine”, Jaesa said sulkily, “But I still hate it there.”

“Okay okay, I get the point. Then something else besides Alderaanian White. Maybe…a nice Corellian Merlot?” Vette offered hesitantly.

“Fine”, Jaesa said and stalked off to the bar.

 _Great, now I’ve reduced her to one-word responses. This celebration isn’t going as well as I’d planned. Oh well…maybe a drink will loosen her up a bit._ Vette mused as she headed over to the tracker and his escort.

“Softly you come, yes….as agreed?” The Arconan resonated silkily, his eyes darting to Jaesa at the bar, “And you brought a Sith?” He seemed to ponder this for but a second before continuing, “Expected…no concerns, no worries.”

Vette crossed her arms rebelliously, fixing the Arconan with a bland stare, “I’ve got your credits, Krata. Do you have my information about Tivva?”

“Of course…but credits first. In public…in case you do not like what you hear.” One of the Duros stepped forward with a datapad for the transfer.

Vette frowned, trying to keep the worry from her voice as she facilitated the transfer of funds, “What do you mean by that? Where’s my sister?”

The Duros nodded as the transfer completed and tossed Krata a thumb’s up before the Arconan continued, “Tivva was sold to Toobu the Hutt. Very powerful, very large. He has her work for a woman named Crystal. These are the coordinates.” Once again, the Duros passed the datapad to Vette who skimmed over the information displayed on the screen and nodded, obviously fighting off a smile.

“Fantastic. Thank you, Krata!” She couldn’t keep the enthusiasm from her voice.

“You are happy. I am happy.” The Arconan bowed slightly and departed, his escort in tow.

Vette could barely keep the bounce from her step as she headed to the bar to check on Jaesa. She found the girl sipping on a glass of red wine and chatting with a green-skinned male twi’lek who was quite obviously trying to pick her up.

“Oh c’mon girl, you know you’re the best-looking thing in here right now. You don’t deserve to sit here all alone when you could be having a good time with me”, the twi’lek purred, leaning in close.

Vette was about to intervene when the man suddenly started gagging and choking. Jaesa nonchalantly sipped her wine and quirked a curious eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong? All choked up on your words?” Her eyes narrowed as she drained the last of the wine and leaned in, her face millimeters from his and hissed, “I…am….not….a….’thing’”, before releasing him to collapse in a wheezing heap on the floor.

“Whoa”, Vette exclaimed with obvious respect, “And here I was coming to rescue you from that idiot. Guess I should know better.”

Jaesa flashed her a wicked smile, “You know…that felt good.” Vette could tell the girl was starting to get a little tipsy already.

“I’ll bet. Hey, let’s blow this joint and go somewhere else. I just got a lead on a Hutt pleasure barge that sounds…interesting.” Vette chewed her lower lip nervously.

Jaesa didn’t even need to use her power to pick up on the fact that the twi’lek was obviously hiding something. “Uh…yeah…sounds like fun.” She shrugged nonchalantly, but eyed Vette suspiciously as she led her from the cantina.

A few minutes later they stepped onto the pleasure barge. It was dominated mostly by gambling tables and slot machines of every variety. A solitary astromech droid buzzed about, delivering drinks to the patrons, and twi’lek dancing girls gyrated sensuously on both tables and the luxuriously-carpeted floor.

“Are we planning on gambling?” Jaesa asked curiously as Vette’s gaze swept over the crowd.

“Not unless you want to”, she replied distractedly before striding over to an older twi’lek woman who was lounging on one of the long couches at the head of the barge.

Overcome with curiosity as to the twi’lek girl’s strange behavior, Jaesa decided to follow her, absently using the Force to snag a random drink off of a passing droid’s tray. She stayed slightly behind her a few feet, sipping curiously at the drink, as Vette addressed the woman, “Crystal?”

The twi’lek woman looked like someone who had definitely been used quite thoroughly most of her life. The skimpy dancer’s outfit that clung to her now-sagging figure emphasized that conjecture even further. Her voice was raspy and weary, “Yeah, cute thing, you lookin’ for work?” Her eyes travelled appraisingly over Vette.

Emboldened by the alcohol that was now making itself known in her system, Jaesa couldn’t help but step up and toss the woman a sly grin, “I don’t know about her….but you ever think of hiring a Sith? Men come here looking for something exotic, yes?”

Vette jumped in obvious surprise at Jaesa’s presence, her eyes widening as the woman, Crystal now slid her gaze over the dark-haired girl thoughtfully, “Hmmm…not a bad idea, actually…sense of danger…”

“Jaesa!” Vette nudged the girl, frowning, “Really?” Returning her attention to Crystal, she shook her head, “We’re not looking for a job. We’re looking for my sister, Tivva. I heard she works here”

Crystal rolled her eyes and muttered, “Ah, of course. Everyone’s always got someone who loves ‘em.” She turned towards a blue-skinned female twi’lek who was leaning against one of the nearby slot machines looking bored and yelled, “Tivva!”

The woman Tivva heaved an obvious sigh and ambled over to them. She looked like an older, more curvaceous version of Vette….even under the heavy blanket of makeup that colored her face. Crystal rose and walked off as Tivva eyed the pair with disapproval, “Sorry…no women, no couples…and no, I won’t hear any argument.”

She started to turn and walk away when Jaesa interjected before Vette could say a word, “Wait a minute. I want to explore this rule against women. We’re all open-minded here, aren’t we?”

Vette shot the obviously-drunk girl a narrow-eyed glance, “Jaesa….stars…please. Crazy Sith channel to mute?”

Tivva then turned back to them and blinked, staring openly at Vette, “Ce’na? What the—you’re alive?!”

Vette flashed her sister a grin, “Despite my best efforts. Sorry about my slightly-drunken friend here”, she gave Jaesa a playful nudge, “She’s a Sith…and all kinds of great and crazy.”

Jaesa threw an arm around Vette’s shoulders and grinned, lifting her glass, “That’s me! Nice to meet you!” She then frowned slightly in obvious confusion, “But wait…who’s Ce’na?”

“That’s my real name, silly!” Vette laughed, “You don’t think anyone actually names their kid ‘Vette’ do you?”

“I don’t know. Could be some traditional twi’lek name for all I know”, she slurred, downing the last of the liquor.

Vette eyed her for a moment before turning back to her sister, “So….I’m guessing this wasn’t a voluntary career move?”

Tivva sighed heavily, appearing much older than she was, “I’ve been here two years and it’s killing me. I thought that I’d eventually get sold off, but…I’m too old.” She turned pleading eyes to Vette, “Ce’na, you have to get me out of here!”

Vette chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully for a moment, her gaze cutting to Jaesa briefly. The dark-haired apprentice had staggered over to the barge’s railing and was staring obliviously into the orange-tinted landscape. “Umm….how much?” She glanced over to Crystal who had been silently hovering nearby.

“To buy her freedom?” The older twi’lek asked incredulously. “Five thousand.”

Vette took a deep breath, silently thinking, _Please, don’t kill me for this_ , before nodding acquiescence. “Done.”

For the second time this evening, the twi’lek transferred funds with a mixture of elation and trepidation. She hoped that Hyperia would understand. _I did help her out with finding her brother, after all. Hopefully, she’ll understand my needing to find my sister._

Tivva grinned from ear to ear and hugged Vette tightly as soon as she passed the datapad back to the madame, “Thank you so much! I’ll go get my stuff and be on the next shuttle out of here! You’d better keep in touch!”

“You know I will. Take care and….let me know if you find Mother, okay?”

“Of course”, Tivva gave her one more last hug before practically running to the cargo hold of the barge and disappearing beneath the planks.

Vette watched her for a long moment, then ambled over to Jaesa who was peering rather precariously over the railing. “You’re not going to jump, are you?”

“Mmmm….no….but I probably could if I wanted to”, the girl slurred quietly, “It’s not that far down.” She tossed Vette a drunken half-grin, “I wonder how many people have puked over this railing.”

Vette’s nose wrinkled in disgust, “Quite a few I’m sure. You wouldn’t be the first…or the last.”

“I haven’t puked…..yet”, Jaesa mumbled, listing a bit to one side. “But…no talking about it…makes me want to.”

“Let’s get you back to the ship so you can pass out, okay?” Vette draped Jaesa’s arm over her shoulders and led her to the taxi stand.

\-------

Vette silently thanked whatever gods there may be that they managed to get back to the ship without Jaesa losing her dinner. But as soon as they stepped in the hatch, the dark-haired apprentice began making slight gagging noises.

“Not on the deck!” Vette yelled, gesturing Jaesa down the hall, “Refresher! First door on the left!”

Vette collapsed onto the lounge with a weary sigh as Jaesa staggered down the hallway, barely making it into the refresher before the distinct noises of someone getting violently sick echoed from the room. Her gaze then fell on the opened wine bottle and two empty glasses sitting on the table. She turned the bottle to read the label and couldn’t help but grin, “Why am I not surprised they finally broke this out?”

As the retching finally stopped, Vette’s ears picked up another sound, echoing faintly from what sounded like Hyperia’s quarters. “I figured she’d be asleep by now”, she thought as she pushed from the lounge and started to head to her room. But, as she passed by Hyperia’s door, her eyes widened as she realized exactly what the sound was. “No...way….” A grin spread over her lips as she tossed a thumbs-up at the closed door, whispering as she continued to her room, “About damn time, you two….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to merge a little head-canon fluff in with Vette's side story. I thought it might be a bit more fun if Jaesa accompanied her to free her sister rather than Hyperia. And that her being sneaky about it kind of tied in with her helping to find Hyperia's brother...in that she's not sure if Hyperia will approve or not, so she's going with the whole "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" theory. Thankfully Hyperia's not a typical Sith or that theory wouldn't hold up at all. :-D
> 
> I know it's been a bit of time since my last chapter, comparatively speaking. I've had my hands full with the new puppy and my writing mojo just went out the door for a few days. This actually took forever to write...and I was going to include the next morning in this chapter, but I actually got a few ideas added on for that, so that will be the next chapter. More fun head-canon and maybe a brief amount of naughtiness. >;-)


	26. The Morning After the Night Before (Interlude/Dromund Kaas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If all my days go wrong  
> I'll think about last night  
> It went right
> 
> If you only knew  
> What I went through just to get to you  
> I'm hanging from you  
> And I'll hold on if you want me to"  
> \--"If You Only Knew" by Maroon 5

Quinn awoke in near-darkness to the feeling that something was…not wrong, but different. As his senses slowly roused to wakefulness, he realized what it was: the touch of soft bare skin against his and the sound of quiet breathing that was not his own. His vision eventually adjusted to the dimness of the room to settle upon the form of Hyperia, nestled against him, one arm casually draped across his chest. A smile tugged upon his lips, accompanying a swell of elation, _It wasn’t a dream…_ Even as this thought entered his mind, he still couldn’t help but reach over to slowly run his fingers through her auburn hair, just to make sure that she was real and not some imagined vision.

She stirred at his touch, releasing a contented sigh as her eyes slowly fluttered open, a smile curving her lips, “Good morning.”

“And to you, my L---Hyperia”, he inwardly cringed at the fact that he just couldn’t not stop calling her “my Lord”, despite their newfound intimacy.

She could not help but laugh at the slip and propped herself up on one elbow, the sheet sliding enticingly down to reveal a teasing glimpse of her breasts as she flashed him a seductive smile, “You would think that, as many times as you said my name last night”, she couldn’t help but shiver at the memory of all the ways he did say it….breathlessly whispered, huskily moaned, and even a few times cried out in passion, “you would not still be trying to call me that.”

A flush rose to his face as he also remembered…as well as all the ways she said his name as they made love through most of the night, as though they were trying to make up for all of the lost time they had denied themselves. “It is a difficult habit to break. You are still my Lord and commander, regardless of everything else.”

“I understand and I obviously expect you to continue calling me that outside the bedroom”, she laid back with a grin and pulled him atop her, “But here…I am not your Lord. In fact”, her smile grew even more seductive as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “you are more than welcome to be _my_ Lord and master…if the desire should ever come upon you.”

His eyes widened as a flush rose up his neck, his mind racing at the prospect. On one hand, he didn’t think he would even know what to do in such a situation…but another part of him actually began mulling over what it might be like to have her at his mercy, obeying his commands. He shivered a bit at the thought, concealing his turmoil by dipping down to place a passionate kiss upon her lips.

She released a contented sigh against his lips as she held him close, enjoying the weight of him atop her. For a moment, she entertained the thought of begging him to take her again…he was ready, she could definitely tell…but the notion was quickly interrupted by a hesitant metallic voice outside her door.

“Great and mighty Lord….my utmost apologies for disturbing you, but I just wanted to check and see if you were ready for your morning caf?”

They both groaned almost simultaneously as Quinn broke the kiss and rolled off of her. Hyperia chuckled and called out, “Yes Too-Vee, thank you! And bring the Captain’s as well! And breakfast! We’re famished!”

“Very good, great Lord and Master. I live to serve.”

As the metallic footsteps faded from the other side of the door, Quinn tossed Hyperia a regretful half-smile. “I guess that’s our clue that we’ve been in bed long enough for today.”

“I beg to differ”, she replied, tracing a fingertip teasingly along his jawline, “but I suppose that you’re right. If nothing else, I need to make sure that the girls made it back from their night out okay.”

The door chime softly rang, accompanied by Too-Vee’s shuffling feet outside the door. Hyperia’s lips curled into an impish smile as she pulled the sheet up to cover herself, sensing the answer to her question not far beyond. “Come in!”

Too-Vee cautiously stepped into the dimly lit room carrying a tray laden with two cups and an assortment of pastries, the main cabin lights casting him in silhouette...along with another familiar outline peeking over his shoulder with obvious excited curiosity. “Hello Vette!” Hyperia called out to her with obvious amusement.

The twi’lek bounced heedlessly into the room, grinning from ear-to-ear, “I _knew_ it! I thought I heard you two in here last night when we got back! It’s about damn time!” Meanwhile, Quinn turned a delicate shade of red as Vette perched upon the foot of the bed, oblivious to their state of undress.

Hyperia just offered her a lopsided impish smile as she took a sip of the caf, “And how was your night out with Jaesa?”

Vette rolled her eyes, “Well, obviously not nearly as exciting as _your_ night was, but we had fun….I think.”

“You think?” Hyperia lifted a brow curiously.

“Well….we got her some new clothes. And she got drunk.” Vette chewed her bottom lip, glancing away. Hyperia could tell she was hiding something.

“And?”

“Umm…and I found my sister and freed her.” The sentence came out in a rush, followed by a timid, “I had to spend some credits.”

“How much?” Hyperia let her voice drop into an ominous growl.

“Five-thousand to free her….one thousand to hire the tracker”, she cringed as though waiting to be struck then chattered out in a rush, “I’m sorry I’m sorry! I thought that since I helped you find your brother, you wouldn’t mind.”

Hyperia mock-glared at her through narrowed eyes for a long moment, letting the twi’lek sweat it out just long enough before she chuckled and shook her head, “It’s okay Vette. I’m sure Jaesa probably spent that much on clothes.”

Vette released a relieved breath before shaking her head, “Actually no. She didn’t get much.” She rolled her eyes, recalling their shopping trip, “She’s horribly picky. You need to take her next time…share your secrets to looking Sithy.”

“I see”, Hyperia took another sip of the caf, her eyes casting behind Vette into the main cabin, “Where is my apprentice anyway?”

“Probably passed out in her room”, Vette said with an indelicate snort, “I didn’t realize she was such a lightweight. Girl has never had a real drink in her life!”

Hyperia’s brows raised inquisitively, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, all things considered.” She glanced over at Quinn who was quietly staring into his caf cup, trying not to look self-conscious, then chuckled, “Okay Vette….shoo! We need to finish breakfast and get dressed. And not a word about this to anyone outside of the ship. We can’t have Baras finding out.”

Vette hopped off the bed, a puzzled look on her face, “But I thought he wanted you two to….you know….get together?”

“Exactly. He wants to have one more thing to use against me….and maybe Quinn….when I challenge him. We can’t give him more ammo than he already has.” She felt Quinn flinch beside her, but kept her attention on Vette.

“No problem, my Lord!” Vette chirped cheerfully. “Sounds kinda nice now that it’s official.” She tossed them a grin then slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

As the door slid shut, she turned to Quinn, sensing his curiosity and confusion, “I know…I told her the complete opposite of what I told you to do. She doesn’t know about your reports and I plan to keep it that way.” She fell silent for a moment in thought, knowing what his question would be, “As far as telling him about this”, she gestured to the bed, “….I just don’t know.”

Quinn sat silently lost in thought for a long moment, rather dreading asking what he needed to in order to assist with the decision. _Might as well get it out now_ , he steeled himself before turning to her, but barely able to meet her gaze. “I would say that would depend quite a bit on….whether or not this was a one-time thing or….?”

She seemed taken aback at his doubt and frowned, tilting his chin up to meet her gaze, “Or something more? I’m honestly surprised you even have to ask that. You’re still afraid that I’m just using you for a diverting little fling?”

“I—I had hoped not…but, it would be in your rights to do so, of course.” Even as he said it, he realized that she could easily take his doubt as an insult.

For a moment, she did look insulted, narrowing her eyes at him, her lips curved into a frown…but then she laughed and kissed him hard on the lips, “For someone so incredibly intelligent, you can be so obtusely dense sometimes. If you were nothing but a fling, you wouldn’t still be in my bed right now, sharing breakfast and discussing how we can best outwit my master.”

A smile curved his lips at her words, “I am very glad to hear it.” The smile faded after a moment and his gaze turned thoughtful, “We shall have to be careful when we meet up with him on Dromund Kaas.”

This time it was Hyperia’s turn to flinch, her features pinched in regret, “I’m sorry Quinn, but you’re not going. I think that we’re both radiating ‘I just had an incredible night of sex’ a little too much right now and I can’t have him catching on with both of us there.”

“You have a very good point, of course. And I understand completely.” With a reluctant sigh, he downed the last of the caf and pushed out of bed. “I should get ready.”

“You know”, Hyperia purred softly, admiring his form as he gathered up his clothes, “my refresher is large enough for two.”

He turned and fixed her with a faintly sly half-smile, but then shook his head as he began pulling his clothes on, “Do you really want to go to Baras radiating ‘I just had an incredible morning of sex’ as well?”

“Hmmm, good point. Maybe some other time”, she winked, chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip.

“I’ll hold you to that…my Lord”, he responded playfully as he leaned in to give her a quick kiss, then slipped from the room.

\-----------------------------

One long, luxurious shower, three failed attempts to roust Jaesa from her hungover slumber, and five hours later, Hyperia strolled into the cockpit as they made their approach to Dromund Kaas. She couldn’t help but smile as they descended through lightning-illuminated clouds and heavy rain.

“You know, even though I’m not Imperial, this has always been like a second home to me.” She could not help but notice the rather nostalgic look in Quinn’s eyes as well, “How long has it been since you were last here?”

There was a slight tremor of emotion in his voice as he replied, “A little over ten years. Since my court-martial and subsequent exile to Balmorra.”

“Ironic”, Hyperia said as she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, “that you were leaving about the same time I was arriving here for the first time.” She couldn’t help but add curiously, “Is your family here?”

She could feel him flinch slightly under her touch, “Yes…my mother and sister, as far as I know, are still here. I have not heard from them in…quite some time, though. Not since…my court-martial.”

“I’m sorry”, she gave his shoulder a light squeeze, “I assume they were not pleased?”

He shook his head as he set the ship down expertly on the landing pad, “It wasn’t that. They were still mourning my father’s death and my…disgrace… was quite a blow to them so soon after. We just…stopped talking.” He shrugged, but Hyperia could tell that it still bothered him.

“That had to be hard on them, for certain. How did you father die?” She didn’t want to bring up bad memories, but at the same time, realized that she knew almost nothing about him prior to his exile to Balmorra.

“In battle….at Rhen Var.”

Hyperia could feel a strange mix of both pride and shame emanating from him at this. She frowned in thought for a long moment before realization dawned on her, “Wait…your father was Colonel Rymar Quinn?”

“Yes”, he turned to her as he finished the post-flight checks. “I’m surprised you have heard of him.”

She offered a faintly wry smile, “Well, in addition to teaching me to make a fabulous cup of Kaasian caf, Lord Itharis made certain that I received a full Imperial education, including military history….especially the battles leading up to the Treaty of Coruscant. So, yes, I have heard of him. Had it not been for the Jedi’s interference, he would have helped lead the Empire to a great victory.”

“We still should have won that battle”, anger creeped into his voice, his gaze turned icy as he glared out of the viewport, “but Darth Mekhis….” His words trailed off as he shook his head, reining his emotions back under control somewhat.

Hyperia sighed quietly, feeling his anger and frustration…and slowly piecing together the similarities in his father’s and his own fates. “You were both undermined and your lives ruined by bad leadership.” She turned the pilot’s chair so that he was facing her and fixed him with a serious gaze, “I know that it is too late for your father, but I want you to know that you can always come to me with any concerns or issues you have with me or my commands. I am not like Baras who will punish you just for questioning me.”

“Thank you, my Lord. You have given me no reason thusfar to do so….and I honestly do not see that changing. But I am grateful for your trust in me.” Rising, he sketched a small bow to her and followed her from the bridge into the main hold where Vette was casually lounging on the couch.

“So, what’s the plan?”, the twi’lek girl enquired. “Go talk to Baras, find out where we’re going next, then blow this rainy ball of gloom for somewhere a bit more sunny?”

“Something like that”, Hyperia replied, “as long as ‘somewhere a bit more sunny’ isn’t Tatooine again.” She paused for a moment, casting her gaze over the both of them before continuing, “I’m going to see Baras alone.”

“My Lord, is that a—“, Quinn began before she held up a hand to stop him mid-sentence.

“I will be fine. I know that you have….personal business that you would probably like to take care of while we are here. Vette, I need you to stay behind and look after Jaesa when she wakes up. Quinn can probably point you in the direction of a good hangover cure in the medbay before he leaves.”

“Oh great….”, Vette groaned, “I get to play nursemaid to the hungover Sith.”

“Or…if you’d rather come with me to see Baras….” Hyperia trailed off, brows raised and a playful gleam in her eyes.

“Ummm….no, that’s okay, I’ll stay here with Jaesa!” Vette replied emphatically, shivering visibly as she recalled her last audience with Hyperia’s master. Her stomach still churned with the memory of the Republic agent’s brain being slowly liquefied by the Ravager as Baras interrogated him.

 “Good. We should be back by the end of the day.” She canted a glance to Quinn who silently nodded. “If not, we’ll let you know.”

“Have fun!” Vette called cheerfully to their backs before muttering under her breath, “I know I won’t.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm going to have to apologize a lot lately for not only the quality of my work, but for the slowness of it. My depression has been hitting me really badly, I can't get any time to focus on this due to the new puppy...and I got hit with a bombshell yesterday that has me not knowing where my life is going to lead in the next year or two.
> 
> To be honest, I'd stop writing, but it's the only thing helping me keep my sanity at all. I have to focus on this world that I'm creating so that I don't dwell too much on my real world that's crumbling around me.
> 
> It's taken me a week to get this out and tons of rewrites and second-guesses. i actually have created openings for a few one-shots to branch off of this: Quinn's reunion with his family, Vette and Jaesa's "morning after", plus maybe even a flashback of an eventful day for a much younger Quinn and Hyperia where two ships pass in the night through Dromund Kaas spaceport 10 years ago, on their way to their respective new destinies. But I don't know know if/when I'll get them done with everything that's happening right now. Again, writing is the one thing that I have to look forward to and enjoy right now, so I won't stop...I can't. I just don't know how fast or how well the words will flow with everything I'm dealing with right now.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who is still reading and I hope that you won't stop. I still have tons of ideas and scenarios bouncing around in my head that I need to get out. It's just not going to be as smooth as it was before.


	27. A Spy in the Family (Dromund Kaas Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now you're standing there tongue tied  
> You'd better learn your lesson well  
> Hide what you have to hide  
> And tell what you have to tell  
> You'll see your problems multiplied  
> If you continually decide  
> To faithfully pursue  
> The policy of truth
> 
> Never again is what you swore  
> The time before  
> \--"The Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Quinn goes in search of his family during a layover in Dromund Kaas....

Quinn sat at a small table outside one of the few cafes located in the central area of Kaas City, staring thoughtfully into the glass of brandy cradled in his hands. The rain had stopped for the time being and the air was filled with the rich, tropical scent of wet foliage, though the sky remained dark and tinged with the flash of lightning and rumble of thunder. He had not realized how much he had missed his home until he had stepped out of the spaceport into the rain-saturated wilds surrounding it. Balmorra had been so arid and lifeless...it had seemed fitting as a contrasting reminder of what his own life had become during the decade he had been exiled there.

He and Hyperia had shared a taxi into the city, both silently enjoying watching the humid jungle landscape slide by. When they passed through the gates of the city, she had reached over to gently squeeze his hand, feeling his excitement and apprehension. _This must be how she had felt when we first arrived on Alderaan_ , he could not help but think as he flicked a grateful smile to her. Their paths diverged once in the city….while she continued on to the Citadel to meet with Darth Baras, he had opted to explore the city that he had always called home, but had not seen in over a decade. Not much had changed, he found. The skyscrapers of the city loomed high in the storm-wracked sky, while in the distance, rocky crags could be faintly seen through the fog. Even the small café he had frequented in his younger days was still there, overlooking the memorial to the Sith Lord Ergast that dominated the square with its finger-like stone monoliths framed with ever-burning blue flame.

Releasing a sigh that was part wistful and part impatient, he swirled the brandy absently in the glass. He had debated on what to drink and whether or not it was prudent to imbibe while he was here. But he had finally determined that, if Vette came through with the information he sought, he would need at least a small amount of liquid courage to fortify him for what was to come.

He had entertained several reservations about asking for the twi’lek’s aid at first. His personal life was not something he felt comfortable sharing with anyone, especially the excitable alien girl. But she had proven herself to be both thorough and discreet in regards to finding Hyperia’s family on Alderaan, so he had opted, though somewhat reluctantly, to trust Vette with finding his own. He had, initially, thought that it would be a simple matter for him to locate them himself. But that was proving false, considering that his mother had apparently moved out of the family estate years ago without leaving a forwarding address of any sort and his younger sister had just….disappeared two years ago with no record to be found of even her existence. It was very odd…and suspicious…so he sent Vette to work with her slicer skills to see what she could dig up. _Stars, I hope that Baras or Broysc didn’t get their hands on them_ , Quinn thought worriedly, taking another sip of the brandy as his fingers tapped a restless tattoo against the tabletop.

“Captain Malavai Quinn”, a woman’s voice suddenly spoke up quietly behind him, “Imperial Intelligence would like a word with you.”

Frowning, he turned, his stomach clenching in anxiety. _Why would Intelligence need to speak to me? This is not good…_ The thought trailed off as his gaze lifted to the woman looming over him. She was dressed rather unconventionally for an Intelligence officer….in lieu of an Imperial uniform, she wore a simple black synthleather jacket and matching pants, a light shirt of red silk, and mud-smeared knee-high black boots. On her back rode a compact, but deadly-looking sniper rifle. _A field operative probably,_ he mused, then gave a slight start of recognition as she stepped into the overhang’s lighting. An impish smile tugged at the young woman’s lips, matching the mischievous gleam in her dark blue eyes set against pale skin and jet-black hair pulled back in a faintly-damp messy ponytail.

“Lexandra?!” His expression must have resembled someone who had just been poleaxed because the girl burst into unfettered laughter before forcing her angular features into some semblance of seriousness.

“It’s Agent Quinn to you, Captain.” Settling into the seat across from him, his younger sister winked playfully.

He blinked, as though not sure if she was real or imagined, “So you are….really…?”

“….in Imperial Intelligence?” She finished for him, “Yup! It turns out all my pretending to be a frivolous airhead didn’t work on the recruiters.” She scrunched her nose, scowling, “Or maybe it did….and they appreciated my acting skills. Along with my test scores. So much for acting dumb so I could escape getting snatched up by the military.”

Quinn shook his head in stark disbelief, “This is…well, unexpected to say the least. How did you know I was even here?”

Lexandra flashed him a bemused smirk as she reached across the table and gave him a playful smack on the head, “ _Imperial Intelligence_ , big brother….hello?” She gestured to a thin cybernetic implant subtly situated above her left ear. “I’ve had this set to alert me the moment you set foot on Dromund Kaas for…well, the past two years since I first got it. It didn’t take much to calculate your travel time from your arrival at the spaceport to the city center, then figure out the potential routes you could take. I had a feeling you’d eventually end up in this place.” She gestured to the café with a smile. “You always liked it here.”

“Well, it appears that your calculations were right again…as usual.” He mentally recalled all the times when she would try to outwit him in some way. She had always seemed to know how to stay one step ahead of everyone….it actually was little surprise that she was a natural fit for Intelligence.

“Pish…..’calculations’…..you were always the calculating one, Mal. I just went with my gut, my feelings….and, if I remember correctly, they beat out all your statistical calculations more often than not.” She leaned back in the chair, arms crossing, as she tossed him an arrogant smirk.

“I always said you would have made a perfect Sith, had you the Force sensitivity. Passion was your greatest strength.”

She waggled her eyebrows wickedly, “Oh, you have no idea….” She trailed off, laughing as he groaned audibly, shaking his head. “Speaking of Sith…who’s the pretty one you rode into the city with? Anyone I should be introduced to…?” Again, she flashed him a devious smile, reveling in the way he turned bright crimson at her inquiry.

Quinn frowned at her in mock-irritation, “I’m surprised that you don’t already know who she is. Being Imperial Intelligence and all.”

Lexandra rolled her eyes, “Well, of course I know _who_ she is: Lord Hyperia, apprentice to Darth Baras. It’s on the ship’s registry. I meant who is she to _you_?”

Quinn hesitated for a moment before opting to give her the official summary. An open-air café was not a place to be discussing his private life, “Darth Baras assigned me to her as a pilot and strategist about four months ago after I aided her in completing a mission for him on Balmorra.”

Lexandra sat in silent anticipation for a moment before gesturing him to continue, “And?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, “And I have been serving her…and Baras…ever since then.”

She scowled at him skeptically, “So, are you not wanting to tell me more because we’re in public, because I’m Intelligence, or because there really is nothing more to tell? And, don’t even bother saying it’s the third one because I know that’s a lie.”

Quinn sank his head into his palm and groaned, “It’s just not something that needs to be discussed right now. It’s…..complicated.” Quickly changing the subject, he asked, “What happened to mother? She moved out of the estate and…?”

“After father died and you got court-martialed, it was just she and I in that big place. I think it just reminded her too much of…well, everything…so she sold it and moved out to an apartment in the city. I was still in my final years at the Imperial Academy, so I didn’t live there with her, but I visited when I could.” His sister rolled her eyes, exuding an irritated huff, “I knew that she and father didn’t always get along, but she really wasted little time seeking out a new meal ticket. I guess she wanted to feel free to cut loose a little after being married to someone as hide-bound and career military as he was.”

“Lexandra! You shouldn’t speak of him that way!” Quinn interjected angrily.

“And why not? You know how he was better than any of us.” She snorted derisively, “I mean, you were just like him. It figures that the one and only time you showed a little spine and stood up against the military and their idiocy, you got punished for it.”

“And now you’re in the military as well”, he retorted with irony dripping from his tone.

She groaned, “Don’t remind me. I thought mother was going to have a nervous breakdown when I was tagged to go to Intelligence. She and I both had held out hoping that I’d be the one person in the family who didn’t end up in the military. Hells, I tried my damndest to avoid it however I could. Got tossed in jail more times than I could count, slept with people I wouldn’t normally spit on. But I didn’t realize that Intelligence eats up that sort of thing when it chooses field agents. You should see who they saddled me with as a partner: this psychotic Rattataki chick I met on Hutta. She’s 50 liters of crazy in a 5 liter jug…but Keeper snatched her up and tossed her at me like she was a gift from the Emperor himself.”

They both fell to silence for a minute or two until Quinn’s holocomm beeped insistently. As he flicked it on, Vette’s form wavered to life above the small disc, “Hey Captain! I did some digging for you and well….good news, bad news, I guess.”

Lexandra raised a curious brow across the table at him, but he waved her off subtly as he returned his attention to the twi’lek, “What is it, Vette?”

“Well…good news is that I found your mother. She’s….umm…..living with an artifact dealer who has an estate out near the Dark Temple. Don’t know if she’s actually there at the moment, though, since it looks like she travels around quite a bit with him. I guess it’s worth a shot, though. I’ll send you the coordinates to your datapad.”

“Thank you, Vette….and the bad news?” He fought to keep from smiling because he had a feeling he already knew what the twi’lek was going to say.

“Yeah…that…..I couldn’t find your sister. And believe me…I had to do some serious digging! It’s like someone just erased her existence a couple of years ago! And you wouldn’t believe where I had to slice into just to figure that much out!” Vette’s normally-cheerful disposition was replaced by obvious irritation. As frivolous as she acted sometimes, Quinn had to admire her tenacity whenever she was presented with a problem.

“It’s okay, Vette. I have…stumbled upon a few leads of my own in that regard. But thank you for trying.”

“Not a problem!” Vette glanced over her shoulder, “Oh….Hyper—Lord Hyperia is back! Here, I’ll let her talk to you.”

The twi’lek walked off-camera to be replaced by the Sith Lord’s lithe form, “Captain, I hear your search has been….at least semi-fruitful?”

“Yes, my Lord. Do you need me back at the ship? I can be ready—“, he trailed off as she lifted a gloved hand to wave him off.

“Take what time you need, Quinn. We're heading to Taris next, but can afford to delay a day or two if need be.”

“That won’t be necessary, my Lord. My business here is concluded…” he shot a quick look over to his sister before continuing, “…for the time being, at least. I can meet you back at the ship within the hour.”

“Very well…if you are sure….I shall await your arrival and have Vette start the pre-flight checks.”

“Appreciated, my Lord. I will see you there.” He flicked off the comm to glance over to Lexandra…who was now wearing a sly grin plastered over her lips. “What?”

“Yeah….you two have got something going on. I can tell. It’s either that or she’s the most polite, accommodating Sith in existence”, she replied sardonically.

“Perhaps that’s exactly what she is”, he retorted defensively, fighting off a blush as he rose from the table.

“I’m not buying that for a minute….but that’s okay, Mal….I have my secrets and you have yours. Maybe next time I see you, we’ll both be in a better position to share them.” She said cryptically, rising as well from the table, eyeing him for a moment. “I’d hug you, but Imperial Agents don’t hug….especially not in public…unless we’re about to seduce our prey or something like that. And you’re my brother, so that would get a bit creepy. But yeah…”

For a moment, he saw a glimpse of the awkward girl he had remembered from years past and couldn’t help but smile. “Quite understandable. You know I was never the hugging type anyway.”

She appeared lost in thought for a moment, then fished a keycard from an inner pocket of her jacket, passing it to him, “Here’s something better: the key to mother’s old apartment. She’s not using it anymore and I don’t foresee using it much myself either. So, if you….or your Sith Lord…ever want a place to call home here on Dromund Kaas, it’s yours.”

His eyes widened at the generous gift, “Lexandra….I can’t—“

“Yes, you can. Otherwise, it’s just going to sit and collect dust. I’d sell it, but it’s too much hassle that I really don’t have time for.” She shrugged, “If you want to sell it, just send me a finder’s fee or some little percentage off the top. It’s not like I need to bankroll a ton of money while I’m in Intelligence. They pretty much fund everything.”

“Thank you. I honestly don’t know what to say….I am overwhelmed.”

She laughed, giving him a playful punch in the arm, “Well, that’s a first. Take care, big brother. Don’t piss off anymore Moffs….or Sith, for that matter.”

“I always try my best not to.” _But don’t always succeed_ , he added silently, recalling his run-ins with Baras.

“Good. I’ll be in contact when I’m able. It was good seeing you again!” With that, she turned and strode back towards the Citadel, Quinn’s eyes following her until she disappeared around a corner.

He glanced down at the keycard in his hand and shook his head in amazement before pocketing it. _I will admit, this could come in handy one day. To have a safehouse of sorts, away from Baras’ prying eyes._ A smile tugged at his lips at the possibilities, but he quickly stifled the thoughts that threatened to intrude, deeming It too soon to make such plans. Downing the last of the brandy, he then made his way to the taxi pad to return to the spaceport, eagerly anticipating their next assignment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those chapters that I thought I was never going to get started. I honestly wasn't sure what i was going to do with it....follow Hyperia to her meeting with Baras, follow Quinn, gloss completely over their Dromund Kaas visit and move along in the story? I didn't want to do the last because DK is one of my favorite planets...not to mention, I was lucky enough to have thunderstorms in our area while writing it, so it helped me get inspired.  
> I'd hopped on my Agent for a bit to take a break and decided...hmmm, wouldn't it be interesting if Quinn's sister was an agent? Both siblings working for Sith renowned for being spymasters...Quinn with Baras and Lexandra with Jadus. So ideas began flowing and here's what came out. I wanted to spend a little more time with them actually discussing Baras and Jadus, but figured an open-air cafe wouldn't be the best place, so this opens up the possibilities for another later reunion. Oh yeah...and she is, of course, based on a combination of two of my Agent characters (Lex'andra who is a Chiss and Zor'ia who is actually played as the daughter of one of my earliest SWs and Quinn).  
> Thanks to everyone for the great comments so far....they really do help me out a lot as far as staying upbeat and inspired to keep writing. :)
> 
> ***UPDATE: Just made a small edit near the end because I realized that I messed up the timeline due to not having recorded anything between Hyperia's promotion and their arrival at Taris. I had thought that she had gone to DK to get her briefing from Baras, but from what I've found on YouTube, she just contacted him via holo, then went to NS to deal with Gonn, *then* went to DK for an actual face-to-face with Baras. Sooo....I had a choice of either inserting a new chapter or two before this one to fill in that part of the story....or just skip over the whole Gonn thing entirely. I decided on the latter because, IMO, it doesn't really add that much to the story itself. So...they're going straight to Taris now. :-P


	28. Thoughts and Regrets (Taris Prelude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have screamed until my veins collapsed  
> I've waited last, my time's elapsed  
> Now, all I do is live with so much fate  
> I've wished for this, I've bitched at that  
> I've left behind this little fact  
> You cannot kill what you did not create  
> I've gotta say what I've gotta say  
> And then I swear I'll go away  
> But I can't promise you'll enjoy the noise  
> I guess I'll save the best for last  
> My future seems like one big past  
> You're left with me 'cause you left me no choice  
> \--"Duality" by Slipknot
> 
> Various random head-canon musings on the way to Taris...

Quinn sat quietly in the cockpit as the stars slid by through hyperspace, his attention fixed upon the datapad in his hands. Since he had nothing to report to Baras at this time, he had decided to spend the time studying whatever he could find on Imperial Intelligence. Most of the information was not new to him….he had actually entertained the idea of joining Intelligence himself at one point. But given the choice between piloting and potentially being trapped behind a computer screen for most of his career, he had opted for the choice that allowed him to venture into space and fly among the stars.

_And then I ended up spending most of my career doing just the opposite, thanks to Moff Broysc_ , he mused bitterly. Once more, he glanced up to the scene out of the viewport….it was one he had resigned himself that he might never see again, until the fateful day that Baras’ apprentice had walked through his door. A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled how he had been intrigued by her from the very first moment and how off-balance she always kept him during those few days on Balmorra. But the smile faded as he also recalled how Baras had used that to insinuate him into her crew for the purpose of keeping an eye on her for him.

It was still confusing at times as to who he owed more to….Baras or Hyperia. Baras had saved his life after the court-martial, but had kept him stuck on Balmorra for an entire decade, his career frozen, until Hyperia came. Had it not been for her, he might not have ever left that desolate rock, but he had no illusions that it was Baras who used the situation to his advantage. Had she been any other apprentice, for all he knew, he might still be there. Had Baras not ordered him to offer his services to her, who knows where he might have ended up? Despite her initial fascination with him, he had no illusions that she would have offered him a place in her crew…and he did not think he would have had the courage to request it himself. He almost _had_ to be grateful to Baras, for he was the reason he was even here. But he wasn’t sure if he could say that he still felt he owed the Sith Lord anything.

Heaving a weary sigh, he checked the chronometer on the console, _One more hour to Taris. At least this mission will benefit the Empire as a whole and not just Baras’ ambitions._ Taking out the entire Republic War Trust was going to be a daunting task, but the thought of it energized him and briefly drew his thoughts away from his conflicted loyalties.

\---------------------------

“Through Passion, I gain Strength”, Hyperia recited, eyeing Jaesa who sat cross-legged across from her on the cargo deck floor. “What do you think that means?”

The dark-haired girl pondered this for a moment. Apparently her hangover had been purged, but she was still showing some signs of weariness on her face. “That through the expression of our emotions…instead of stifling them like the Jedi do, we grow stronger?”

Hyperia fought back an amused smile. _I think that’s almost the exact answer I gave when Lord Itharis first asked me that._ “You are partially correct. However, ‘passion’ does not only encompass emotion, but inspiration….whatever drives you to succeed and grow stronger. You can still have passion without being a constant torrent of emotions. The Jedi stereotype the Sith as walking caricatures of hate, anger, violence, lust, and desire. They believe that we only gain strength through negative emotions and see ‘passion’ as encompassing all of that. But even they have passion, but deny that fact with every breath….they have passion for defeating us, passion for serving the Republic, passion for their very Code that denies the expression of it.”

“Hypocrites”, Jaesa spat disgustedly.

“Yes…and I’m sure you can think of at least one example that was right in front of you.”

The girl frowned in thought, then her eyes widened in realization, “Nomen Karr. He was passionate about bringing down Darth Baras.”

“Indeed….he was fairly obsessed with it. Which is why he fell so easily to the Dark side once prodded. He had allowed his passion to take over and when it looked as though he was going to fail, he couldn’t accept it. It had become so much a part of him that he gave up who he thought he was….a calm, serene Jedi Master…in favor of that which he hated most, just so that he could not lose that obsession.”

“But…it made him weak, why?” Jaesa asked, obviously confused.

“Because he could not fully accept it. He was still fighting against himself to remain a Jedi. He was too conflicted. By the time he had chosen to immerse himself fully into the Dark side, it was too late. And even then, there was still a part of him that was fighting against it. You gain strength through _accepting_ your passion….by knowing it and using it, not letting it use you.”

Jaesa’s face went slightly red, “Are you berating me for getting drunk last night? Was that wrong?”

Laughter rippled from Hyperia’s lips as she shook her head, “Well, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I believe that it was a good lesson that you needed to learn. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself…indulging in the pleasures in life….but you have to know your limits and not exceed them to the point where you put yourself in a position of weakness.”

“So I shouldn’t push myself….seek out greater challenges and thrills?” Hyperia could hear a thread of rebellious disappointment in the girl’s voice.

“No, I’m not saying that at all. In fact, Sith thrive on challenge and conflict. My point is that you should have the self-awareness to know when you’re in too far over your head…when the risk outweighs the benefits. If there is something that you are passionate about, but it is out of your reach, then that is inspiration to do whatever is needed to become strong enough to take it on.”

“You mean like…when an apprentice wishes to take down her Master?” There was hesitation in her voice as though afraid to bring up the subject. She even rushed to add, “Not that I want that at all! It is because of you that I have this incredible new life! I owe you everything!”

Hyperia merely chuckled, shaking her head, “If I felt at all threatened by you, then you would already be dead, apprentice. But yes, that is an excellent example.” She threw a faint hint of condescension into her tone, just to see how she would react.

Jaesa bristled slightly, but quickly recovered. She knew quite well that she was no match for her master. That had been proven to her all too well back on Hutta.

Hyperia felt her brief burst of anger and nodded, “Take that feeling, Jaesa. Nurture it. Let it make you stronger…if not to take me down, then to take down your enemies. Let it drive you to improve yourself, so that nothing can challenge you anymore.”

A feral smile began to grow on the girl’s lips, “Yes....focus my hate. I remember….everyone who tried to keep me down. The Jedi….the Alderaanians…..how I want to watch that planet _burn_!!”

Even as she spoke those words, she remembered what Vette had told her the evening before….but a second too late, as she felt the Force smash into her, knocking her back against the bulkhead and pinning her there like a helpless insect. Hyperia’s eyes were fairly glowing a raging orange as she growled, “You can hate it all you want. But that is one thing I will demand that you keep to yourself. You may not have anyone left there you care for, but I do. Am I understood?”

The Force grip released her to fall back to the deck on her knees and she murmured, “Y—Yes, master. My apologies….”

Hyperia rose to her feet, slowly abating her anger, “I think that is enough for now, apprentice. Go meditate on what you have learned.” Without another word, she swept out the door to her quarters, leaving her new apprentice to regain her footing alone.

\------------------------

Quinn had just finished the final docking sequence to the orbital station above Taris when a muffled cry of rage and a loud “thud!” echoed from the other side of the wall that the cockpit shared with Hyperia’s quarters. Frowning in concern, he pushed from the pilot’s chair to pause just outside her door, inquiring quietly, “My Lord….is everything alright?”

The door slid open to find her standing in the middle of the room, a sharp dent in one bulkhead and a ruined chair lying in pieces nearby. Hyperia herself was shaking with anger that he could actually feel as she began stalking back and forth across the small room.

“That…stupid, selfish, rotten…..son of a Hutt!!! I _knew_ we shouldn’t have left!” She was veritably spitting with rage.

Quinn’s brows furrowed in puzzlement, his curiosity obvious enough that she gestured sharply at the monitor of her personal computer. Dominating the screen was a letter….

> _Ysara,_
> 
> _I’m sorry to tell you this, but House Panteer has joined the Republic. I know this makes us enemies now. But you’ll never be my enemy. I didn’t tell father or Fasha about you. I wanted to wait and see how things played out. Now I know it was for the best. They’re moving on and Fasha’s an Organa now…so I think it’s best for them to continue to think you’re dead. It would…cause too many complications to have a Sith a part of the family now._
> 
> _I’m so sorry, but you’ll always be my big sis and my hero. Love you always,_
> 
> _Alek_

He felt his own anger beginning to simmer, though for different reasons. If Baras hadn’t insisted that they leave Alderaan immediately in order to pursue his own personal mission, they would have had a very good chance of turning Panteer….and, by default, all of Alderaan…to the Empire. Now the planet was in danger of falling to the Republic…if it hadn’t already.

Even as he turned to her, she fixed him with a livid glare that, had he not known that was not directed at him, would have terrified him. “Put _that_ in your next report! Make sure he knows what he has done! That had he given us one more day, Alderaan would belong to the Empire!”

Quinn winced and felt his stomach turn slightly as he also recalled that they had postponed the mission to House Panteer in favor of reuniting with her brother…and at his insistence. Though he did not wish her anger to be turned his way, he could not keep silent, “My Lord….I must also apologize. I urged you to find your brother, prioritizing it before the needs of the Empire. I had thought we would have enough time to do both. Part of the blame should be mine as well.”

Her shoulders sagged and her anger seemed to deflate as she sank onto the bed, her head in her hands, “Damnit….no, it’s my fault. I would have put him first anyway. Just…having you acknowledge it made it easier for me to make the decision I wanted. I was just as guilty as Baras for ignoring what was best for the Empire in favor of my own personal desires.” She sighed heavily, “Hells….I could have defied him, even. I don’t think one day would have made that much of a difference….especially if I brought the Empire a victory. It would have been worth whatever punishment he doled out. Maybe I, subconsciously, _wanted_ the Republic to win…so that at least my family would be safe. I don’t know.”

“You had a difficult decision to make”, Quinn said as she sat down next to her, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Put it behind you. We can make a difference for the Empire here, on Taris, now. Taking out the War Trust will be an enormous blow against the Republic.”

She nodded, still frowning, “And yet I can’t help but wonder what’s in it for Baras. I have yet to see him do anything that doesn’t serve his best self-interest.”

“At least this time, if that is the case, his interests are aligning with those of the Empire.” _I hope_ , he couldn’t help but add silently.

“Indeed”, she sighed once more and rose to her feet, with Quinn following suit. “Not much longer….I can feel it.”

Knowing exactly of what she spoke, he nodded as he followed her from the room, “I look forward to that day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those "started out as one paragraph and turned into an entire chapter" things. I was trying to find a way to segue into Taris and one idea came along, then another and another. I had only planned on including the "letter from home" bit before hitting Taris, but then wanted to include a little Quinn POV...then realized that I hadn't done a thing with Jaesa since her time with Vette on Nar Shaddaa...so this just kind of spiraled into a little head-canon chapter of it's own. 
> 
> Next chapter, our group lands on Taris and things get interesting as Pierce gets involved....


	29. Possession Obsession (Taris Pt1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are flesh  
> We are one  
> So why do I feel so much guilt for what I've done?  
> As your blood burns through my skin  
> I feel release  
> I breathe you in  
> It's where you end and I begin  
> \--"Inside You" by Stabbing Westward
> 
> Taris at last...  
> Tensions heat up and passions flare...
> 
> **Rated M for sexual situations**

“Ugh…I don’t know which is worse, Taris or Hutta”, Hyperia groaned as she stepped off the shuttle with Quinn at the Imperial outpost. Even the name the outpost had been given by the Imperials stationed there, Toxic Lake Garrison, hinted at its foulness. She was not sure if the lake was truly toxic or not, but the overpoweringly-horrid smell of it that permeated the air was nearly enough to kill one with its odor alone….and she was not about to step off the bridge spanning its width into the sickly-green water to find out.

Quinn seemed to ponder this at length, and Hyperia had to restrain herself from smiling. That was one of the many things she found appealing about him: his mind was always working…even if it was only on a rhetorical question posed half-jokingly. “In my opinion, my Lord, I would say Taris. On Hutta, while you do have to deal with the Hutts, at least they can be reasoned with if you are in possession of enough credits. Here on Taris, the prevailing hostile species is the rakghouls….and they are mindless savage creatures who can infect you with but a scratch, turning you into one of their number in a most gruesome and painful way.” He paused for a moment, his nose wrinkling slightly, “And the odor here is definitely more putrid.”

“Well, I suppose that we can mark it off as a potential vacation spot, then”, she remarked sarcastically as she began striding for the imposing building before them where they were slated to meet their contact for the planet, a certain Moff Hurden.

Quinn fell in a few steps behind her, following at a distance that was respectful as well as allowed him to silently admire her form. She had opted to forgo the more ornate armor for visiting the swampy planet in favor of a simple, almost Jedi-like hooded overrobe of black, accented with charcoal and a deep, dusky purple, and plain black pants tucked into thigh-high black boots. Nearly every inch of her was hidden by the folds of the rich fabric, but the fact that he was now intimately aware of what lay beneath was far more enticing than if she had chosen to wear something more revealing. He could not help but wonder if she was reading what he was feeling, especially considering that she seemed to put a bit more sway in her walk once they entered the complex, but with her back to him and the hood raised, it was impossible to tell what she might have been thinking.

\-------------------

Lieutenant Vikteron Pierce leaned casually against the command desk dominating the large office in the Imperial command complex, and watched Moff Hurden pace restlessly like a caged animal while skimming over a datapad. The skinny Moff had been on edge ever since Darth Baras’ holocall alerting him to the arrival of his apprentice and his restlessness was beginning to wear on Pierce’s nerves. It didn’t help that Hurden insisted on reading off the datapad in a whispered mutter, as though he was memorizing the lines to a Sith opera. When the woman and her escort finally stepped through the entrance, he couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief.

“Moff Hurden, the Sith is here.” Pierce had to refrain from rolling his eyes as the Moff glanced up, startled.

“What’s that Lieutenant?” He seemed a bit disoriented for a moment before his gaze snapped over to rest upon Hyperia and Quinn. “Oh! I didn’t see you come in! You must be Lord Hyperia, I assume? Darth Baras’ apprentice?”

“Indeed”, the woman replied blandly in a husky voice cut through with an unusual Imperial accent that he could not place. Pierce noted that she was of rather average height and build, but not much more could be inferred from the hooded robes that enveloped her, aside from a glimpse of full lips and bronze skin…the rest of her face was lost in the shadows of the hood.

The Moff drew himself up to his rather meager height and proclaimed proudly, as though it was a speech he had been practicing, “I have never had cause to aid your Master before, but I have long sought an opportunity to do so and am eager to contribute however I am able.”

Pierce barely restrained a groan as he tossed a faintly irritated glance to Hurden, “I doubt she came all this way to be fawned on.” Even as he spoke, he noted a smile curving the lips of the Sith….though the dark-haired Imperial Captain standing guard nearby looked none-too-pleased.

“Yes, of course.” The Moff frowned before gesturing briefly to Pierce, “May I introduce Lieutenant Pierce…on loan from one of our notorious black ops divisions. He is, hands down, my finest officer.”

The Sith woman reached up to pull the hood back from her short auburn hair and fixed Pierce with an intense golden-eyed stare. _She’s actually…pretty,_ Pierce thought, _Didn’t know Sith could be pretty._ It was almost more disconcerting than if she had been more sinister in appearance. It didn’t help that she was staring at him as though trying to look into the very depths of his soul…and with that wicked little smile tugging at the edge of her lips. Some small voice in the back of his mind whispered, _Oh, I want that…_

Oblivious to anything else, Moff Hurden rambled on, “I give you exclusive reign over him while you are on Taris, which I trust will accommodate your every need.”

Pierce felt a definite stirring at the Moff’s words, even moreso when the smile grew over Hyperia’s lips as she replied, “So, Lieutenant, your service to me begins now. Are you ready to accommodate my every need?”

“Ready, willing and able, m’Lord”, he offered enthusiastically, unable to avoid noticing that the all-too-handsome Captain behind her had fixed him with a rather deadly scowl. _If I didn’t know better, I’d say the man is jealous_ , he thought with a stroke of malice. _This assignment is turning out to be much more interesting that I’d imagined._

“Right then”, Hurden interrupted with an indelicate cough. “I’m sure you’ll want to get started first thing in the morning. I’ll have one of my men show you to the quarters we’ve secured for you.”

Attempting to keep the eagerness from his voice, Pierce stepped forward, “I can take care of that. Follow me, m’Lord.” With a casual gesture, he led the pair from the office and down the hallway towards the barracks.

\------------------------------------

As Hyperia followed Pierce down the hall with Quinn in tow, she could literally feel the tension coming off the two men in waves. This Lieutenant Pierce was obviously one of those ‘alpha male’ types who knew what he wanted and went straight after it…even if it was something as dangerous as a Sith Lord. Under any other circumstances, she might have actually been intrigued by him, but having grown accustomed to slowly chipping through Quinn’s nearly-indomitable reserves, Pierce’s type of forwardness no longer sparked her interest. But, she found it entertaining for the moment to let him think he had some sort of chance with her. Meanwhile, Quinn’s disdain for the man was a palpable thing that radiated from him in waves. She could almost be certain that her Captain would have no issue whatsoever with strangling the man with his bare hands, given the chance. But when she tossed him a quick glance over her shoulder, his features were schooled in the very picture of calm professionalism, revealing nothing of the emotions raging beneath the surface.

“Here y’are”, Pierce paused before a pair of doors. “It’s not much, but I hope it’ll do. One each for you and your…uh….Captain. Y’need anything, let me know.” Hyperia caught the meaningful look tossed her way and the faint quirk of the Lieutenant’s lips at the last part. She flashed him her most devastating smile, “Thank you, Pierce. I will make sure to do that.”

She was almost sure the man was almost literally drooling as she slipped through her door and closed it behind her, leaving him in the hallway. Quinn had already disappeared into his room, but she could feel his annoyance even through the thick wall separating them. _Don’t fret, my dear Captain…this will all be worthwhile in the end,_ she thought with a dash of mischievousness.

About half an hour later, as she might have predicted, the door chime rang softly. She had already undressed for bed, so she was clad only in her undergarments as she answered the door. As she had expected, the hulking figure of Pierce stood outside, his eyes widening at her state of undress. “M’Lord….I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed.” She watched his throat rise and fall in a swallow, and let her lips curl in a sly smile.

“Hmmm….there might be something that I need….” She trailed off enticingly, batting her eyes at him.

“And that is…?” He leaned in towards her, a knowing smile on his lips.

She slowly turned her back to him and glanced over her shoulder invitingly….before whirling to throw a punch backed by the power of the Force straight at his face. Her fist impacted with a solid crack and she could feel bone give way as a sharp cry of pain was torn from his lips. Glaring at him as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from his nose, she growled, “A towel to clean up this blood….and for you to never presume that you can even think about taking such liberties with me again! Get out of my sight!”

“Yes m’Lord…noted”, he replied in a thick nasally tone as he bowed once and staggered back down the hallway. Though even through the pain, he still couldn’t help but think, _Damn…what a woman!_ Somehow it just made him want her even more.

Hyperia watched him go, then returned to her quarters with a chuckle, brushing her fingers over the intercom panel, “Captain, could you come here for a moment?”

When her voice filtered over the intercom, Quinn couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to. He knew he had heard the Lieutenant’s voice outside her quarters just a minute ago. To be honest, he couldn’t decide what angered him more, this Pierce’s completely insubordinate attitude and forward behavior towards Hyperia, or that she seemed more than willing to try to seduce to big idiot. Nevertheless, his Lord called and he must answer.

He stepped into total darkness as he entered her room, so couldn’t help but give a slight start of surprise when he felt her arms slide around him from behind and her lips brush his ear as she whispered, “Did you truly think that I would want someone like him?”

She could feel him tense beneath her touch, his jaw setting beneath her fingertips as she trailed them along his neck. “I…had hoped not. But the way you acted towards him…” She could feel his anger rising as the words brought back the memory of her teasing flirtations.

“It made you angry”, she purred softly, circling around him to slide her arms around his neck, her eyes locking onto his in the near-darkness. “You still are…I can feel it…” She slid her fingers through his hair and whispered in his ear, “Release it….” Feeling a thread of hesitation beginning to wind its way through his emotional maelstrom, she dropped her hands and began to turn away with a sigh, “Or, if you’re no longer interested, I suppose I can go see if the Lieutenant is still….”

Before the last words left her lips, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, using the momentum to push her against the wall with a low growl, “No…you are mine.” A quiet voice in the back of his mind tried to assert itself, to tell him that this was wrong, that he had no right to claim her…but he pushed it aside. The darkness made it easier to forget that she was his Lord and commander…she just became a faceless, nameless figure in the gloom. It reduced her down to lips to devour, flesh to grasp, hair to bury his fingers in. He tore at the few slips of fabric his hands encountered, needing to touch every inch of her velvety skin.

 _How dare she even consider looking at that…insubordinate oaf?!_ The thought ran constantly through his mind, driving his anger and need. Her throaty moans echoed against his neck as he grasped her thigh, digging his nails into her flesh as he lifted it to wrap around his waist.  He could not wait one more second to take her and so did not even bother divesting himself of his clothes, instead reaching down to position himself against her eager sex before sheathing himself fully within her with one sharp motion. A cry of pain or pleasure…it was difficult to determine which, perhaps both….was torn from her lips as her body arched against him.

The sound drove him onward, the desperate need to take out his anger…to even punish her…for inflaming his jealousy was just too overpowering. Even as he held her pinned against the wall, her whimpering cries increased in frequency and volume as his own movements became more savage. He buried his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck and covered her mouth with his, their mutual cries of ecstasy reverberating against their lips. With one final sharp thrust, he broke the kiss, his own ragged cry of release torn from his lips as the world exploded into total bliss.

Quinn suddenly found that his legs no longer wanted to support him and he slid to the floor, pulling her down with him, the room now silent aside from their gasping breaths. As the exhilaration began to fade, the awareness of what he had done began to reassert itself and he felt his heart lurch. “My Lo—Hyperia….I am so sorry. I don’t kn—“, he began shakily.

She smiled and laid her fingertips upon his lips, “No…don’t apologize. By the Emperor….that was…incredible. It was exactly what I wanted: to see where your anger…your passion…would take you.”

He took her hand in his and pressed his lips to the back of it with a grateful sigh….then blinked in confusion as his lips tasted saltiness on her skin. _Blood?_ He squinted in the darkness and could make out faint dark streaks coloring her knuckles. “Are you bleeding? What happened?”

She released a quiet laugh, lips quirking in a devious smile, “Oh….nothing much. Just punched the big idiot in the face when he tried to proposition me. I think I might have broken his nose.”

Quinn gaped at her, stunned for a moment, then chuckled faintly, shaking his head, “I’m not sure if I should congratulate you, or be annoyed. I was rather looking forward to doing that myself.”

“Sorry if I stole your thunder, Malavai.” Her tone took on a sensual purr, “You can punish me for it, if you want to.”

He shivered, wrapping his arms around her to hold her still-trembling and sweat-sheened body against him, whispering, “I don’t know if I’m up for that again right now.”

She laughed, nestling into his embrace, “I didn’t mean this very instant. Besides…I think we’re both already going to have a bit of trouble walking in the morning as it is.” She shifted slightly as the afterglow began to fade and she became aware of the cold metal deckplates beneath them. “Even moreso if we stay here on the floor much longer.”

With a groan, he managed to leverage himself upright, feeling his legs quivering from their exertions, and extended a hand to aid her to her own shaky feet. She trailed her fingertips along his jaw with a regretful sigh. “As much as I would love for you to fall asleep here with me, I think that it would be best if we maintain the façade that you are merely a servant to my whims. In case word of this happens to get back to Baras.”

“Of course, my Lord”, already he had begun pulling himself back together, the consummate military professional asserting itself over his demeanor, though a faint trace of desire still lingered in his cobalt eyes. “I shall be in my quarters, should you need anything further.”

She fought to keep the smile from tugging at her lips as he flashed her a quick wink before bowing and exiting from her room. With a contented sigh, she fell into bed, letting the pulsing ache between her legs lull her into a blissful slumber.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agh...finally! I thought I would never get this chapter written! I just could not get my mojo a-working to get it started. I wanted to do something more than just follow the vanilla storyline to start off. I kept rolling over ideas in my head and finally decided to do a little naughty chapter inspired by Quinn and Pierce's initial meeting and explore perhaps some of the reasons why they always managed to push one another's buttons. Considering some of Pierce's lines later on in the story, I figured that at least some of his issues were just sheer jealousy and the sense that the Warrior could do better than waste her affections on someone like Quinn. And Hyperia, being able to sense all of this, decides to have a wee bit of fun with it, with the added side benefit of getting Quinn to break out of his shell a little bit more. >:-)
> 
> I am hoping to get back on more of a roll for at least this week since puppers is finally calming down a bit and is spending more of his time outside, plus the husband is gone to Germany for the week. And the nice stormy weather we're having helps my creativity immensely. I also made a new Hyperia clone in-game, so I can re-run the story...again...and see what other little details I can pick up.
> 
> Oh...and Pierce's first name was never mentioned in the game...and I always thought he looked and sounded like a "Victor", so I just Star-Wars-ified it a bit and...Vikteron.
> 
> Comments and kudos are, as always, still very welcome!


	30. Lock and Load (Taris Pt2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah here we go for the hundredth time  
> Hand grenade pins in every line  
> Throw 'em up and let something shine  
> Going out of my f*cking mind
> 
> Go stop the show  
> Choppy words and a sloppy flow  
> Shotgun opera lock and load  
> Cock it back and then watch it go
> 
> Mama help me I've been cursed  
> Death is rolling in every verse  
> Candy paint on his brand new hearse  
> Can't contain him he knows he works  
> \--"Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park
> 
> Hunting General Frellka....

“Aaagghhh…please, no more…uunnghh!” The rest of the Republic scout’s words were cut off in a wet crunch as Pierce slammed his fist into his face, taking a certain perverse gratification in the way the man’s face caved in under the force of his armored punch.

_Can’t believe a poncy little git like the Captain could make a woman like her scream like that,_ he thought irritably for what was probably the hundredth time or so that night. He had actually opted to follow her orders and retrieved a towel to clean up his blood that she had spilled (as she had quite rudely turned him down). _After leading me on like she wanted it so bad_ , he growled mentally as he punched the now-unconscious soldier again, sending up a spray of blood. When he’d approached her quarters, he could not help but hear the rather loud cries of passion coming from within. In disgust, he’d gone to work off his frustrations the only other way he knew how: by killing.

He’d managed to tear through a small Republic patrol that seemed to be trying to secretly scout out a route near the outpost, leaving one lowly scout alive to interrogate. It hadn’t taken much to break the man, but at this point, Pierce cared less about the information and more about just having something to take his annoyance out on. At least he managed to get some useful intel about General Frellka’s possible location in the process. Good thing too, since the scout’s head was now nothing more than a pulverized mass of blood, bone and brain tissue. Pierce wiped the fluids from his gloves on a nearby palm leaf with a weary huff before striding back to the outpost.

\------------------------------

The next morning, they all reconvened in the command center, none of the trio bearing any signs of the previous evening’s activities aside from a slight trace of bruising around Pierce’s nose and a barely-noticeable hitch in Quinn’s gait. Hyperia had pulled the hood back up on her robes, hiding the faint mischievous sparkle in her golden eyes as she fixed her gaze on the burly Lieutenant.

“Heard we’re going after the War Trust, m’Lord. Did my homework. If that is the mission, I’m fully prepped”, Pierce intoned with only the faintest hint of annoyance cutting through his heavy Ziost accent. Apparently Hyperia wasn’t the only one who could sense the smugness emanating from Quinn as he stood watch silently beside her.

Fighting back a self-satisfied smile of her own, she nodded, schooling her voice to cool professionalism, “Indeed that is our mission. Brief me on what you have found, Lieutenant.”

“Right. It seems that all four of the War Trust members are on-planet as we speak, which means they’re up to something big. But no one’s been able to catch a glimpse of them so far.” Noting Hyperia’s lips beginning to curl into a dissatisfied scowl, he continued. “However, I managed to get my hands on a Republic scout. Leaned on him….hard. He was setting up supply routes for General Frellka, the War Trust’s junior member.”

Hyperia eyed him for a moment, then nodded, “I would like to interrogate this man myself. See what else he knows.”

Pierce visibly flinched, recalling the man’s pulverized face, the body left in the swamp for the wildlife to devour, “He’s dead. Sorry.” The last added as an almost afterthought.

“Very disappointing, Lieutenant”, her voice dropped to an ominous growl, “Next time leave the interrogation to the professionals.”

“Noted”, he replied briefly, showing no signs of being truly apologetic. But before she could reprimand him, he continued on, “Scoped out the area the scout described. Several heavily-armed caravans run through there on carefully staggered routes. Couple dozen soldiers could attack the caravans, pull their transponders and triangulate where they originated from with the equipment here.” He gave out a slight huff of frustration, “But Moff Hurden says he can’t spare the manpower.”

With a dismissive gesture, Hyperia shook her head, “You don’t need a dozen soldiers, we can handle it…if you can handle the triangulation.”

Pierce shrugged, “Not really my thing, but I’m trained. I can play tech monkey if you need me to.”

Hyperia rolled her eyes and emitted a frustrated sigh, “You botch an interrogation, you aren’t adept at running tech, and your social skills are horribly lacking. If you’re Moff Hurden’s best, I shudder to think what the rest of his soldiers are like. Is there anything you _are_ good at, Lieutenant?”

She could feel a double-punch of emotions from both men at that: bristling offense from Pierce and a sort of smug elation from Quinn. Scowling heavily, Pierce growled, “I’m a field soldier, m’Lord….I’m good at killing.” For a split-second, he fixed Quinn with a narrowed-eyed glower before meeting Hyperia’s hidden gaze steadily.

“Well, that’s something, I suppose”, she replied with a sigh as she crossed her arms. “In that case, you will aid me in taking down the caravans, so I can see if _this_ bluster of yours is actually founded in actual ability. I know Captain Quinn is more than capable of handling simple triangulations.”

“Of course, my Lord”, Quinn replied with a respectful bow. She had to give him credit for maintaining a completely professional exterior even though she knew that mentally, he was celebrating just one more victory over the insubordinate Lieutenant.

“Sounds good to me”, Pierce replied in turn, “Would rather be where the action is anyway, not sitting on my arse, staring at a monitor screen.”

_By the Emperor, this is amusing_ , Hyperia could not help but think, fighting off a laugh at the two men’s posturing. Fixing her expression into cool neutrality, she turned to head for the door, gesturing Pierce to follow, “Let’s be off then. I’ll contact you when we have those coordinates, Quinn.”

“I will be right here, awaiting your call, my Lord”, he replied calmly as he watched them leave.

\----------------------------------

Five hours and three caravans later, Hyperia had to admit that she was impressed with Pierce’s skills on the battlefield. While he remained uncharacteristically silent for most of the time, he did actually have the foresight to enquire as to her battle strategy so that he could more effectively support her. After their first skirmish with the Republic caravan guards, he even offered up a few tactical suggestions that she found most helpful for their next two encounters. _At least he is not a completely witless lout_ , she mused to herself as she transmitted the last set of coordinates back to Quinn at the outpost.

A minute later, her holocomm chirped and Quinn’s form flickered into life above the small disc. “My Lord, I have completed the triangulation and am sending you the coordinates of the caravans’ destination. It would be prudent to assume that is General Frellka’s location, provided the scout’s intel was correct.”

“Thank you, Captain. I will contact you if we need anything further”, switching off the comm, she turned to Pierce, displaying the coordinates that Quinn had sent to her datapad to him. “Do you know anything about this area, Lieutenant?”

Pierce eyed the display for a moment, then nodded, “Yeah, we beat the Pubs out of there a few months back. Wasn’t nothing but a bunch of rank caves that pirates used to use. But I’m guessing if they’re back, that means there’s something in there that they’re after.”

“Perhaps related to this mysterious reason the entire War Trust is skulking around the planet”, she mused thoughtfully before tucking the datapad away with a shrug. “Either way, at least we have a fix on General Frellka’s base. Let’s go.”

\----------------------------

When they arrived at the designated coordinates, it was quite apparent that this was no longer just a system of “dank pirate caves”, but a rather extensive and heavily-fortified Republic mining operation. They managed to fight their way through the scattered patrols of Republic soldiers all while dodging the miners who fled for their lives upon spotting a Sith wading through their midst. Upon reaching the control center for the mine, they were disappointed to find it inhabited only by the mining foreman and a few of his assistants.

As Hyperia strode forward with the intent of taking the overweight foreman for interrogation, he held up a hand, eyes widening with fear as he backpedaled away, “Whoa whoa whoa! You got all the soldiers! We ain’t fighters…just miners….contracted miners at that!”

Narrowing her eyes at the man, she growled, “Where is General Frellka?”

“Yeah, he’s the overseer here….but he’s not exactly hands-on, if you know what I mean. He hasn’t been by here in weeks.” He swallowed, eyeing her cautiously, “Are…you gonna kill him?”

Hyperia took a step towards him, feeling the fear spiking once again in the burly man, “Perhaps….why are you so curious?”

“I don’t want no trouble! It makes no difference to me! Really! The Republic don’t pay me enough to get in your way…believe me!” The man was now visibly trembling, his hand shaking as he gestured to a nearby console. “Listen, if I hit the silent alarm, he’ll come with his personal guard. If that’s what you really want, I can bring him here.”

She scowled, reaching out to determine if the man was trying to trap them somehow, but only felt fear and the desire to preserve his own skin, “Do it.”

The foreman signaled one of his men who pressed a button on the console before turning his fearful gaze back to her, “Okay…it’s done. We’ve summoned the general. Can we go now?”

Hyperia leaned against one of the nearby pallets and fixed the man with a narrow-eyed gaze, her golden eyes boring into him, “Not until the General shows and I’m sure that you aren’t just using this as some sort of ruse to get me to let you go.”

“No ruse, I swear. But it might be a little while. The General isn’t holed up too close to here, I imagine.”

“Then…we wait.”

\-------------

Minutes passed, then an hour and Hyperia could sense Pierce was getting restless and about to burst with questions, but was actually exerting some measure of self-control for once. “Something on your mind, Lieutenant?”

He gave a slight start, obviously taken by surprise at her inquiry, then fixed her with a slight scowl as he muttered, “Yeah, but don’t want to get punched again if I can help it, m’Lord.”

Hyperia eyed him for a moment, then burst into laughter, startling both Pierce and the miners who were loitering nervously nearby, “Don’t worry, Lieutenant, I will try to restrain myself this time.”

“Fine”, he hesitated for but a second before continuing accusingly, “Why’d you have to go leading me on like that last night when you were just going to go running to your pretty little Captain?”

An amused smirk danced on her lips as her brows rose in a mix of surprise and respect. _The man has gall, if nothing else._ “Because I wanted to take your measure, Lieutenant. I wanted to find out what kind of man you are. Obviously you’re someone who is not intimidated by the fact that I’m a Sith and you’re the type who goes after he wants, heedless of the potential consequences.”

“All true”, he shrugged, “Could’ve shown more of what kind of man I was…but you obviously weren’t interested.”

“I wasn’t interested in that aspect of you, no, regardless of what I might’ve suggested. You’re not my type, to be honest.”

“And that poncy Captain is?”, he snorted derisively.

She merely shrugged and fixed him with a bland stare, “He serves me well…and is more than competent in whatever he undertakes.”

“Sounded like he was serving you pretty damn well last night”, he spat reproachfully and was rewarded by the faintest hint of a blush rising to her bronze skin.

“Were you eavesdropping outside my door, Lieutenant?”

He emitted an amused snort, “Didn’t need to. Half the base could probably hear you two.”

Hyperia groaned softly, but was spared having to form a response by the sound of rapidly-approaching footsteps.

“Enemy sighted! Captain, attack pattern aught-aught-seven!” The call to arms came from a heavily-armed soldier with craggy features and silver hair cut in a military buzzcut. _General Frellka, no doubt_ , Hyperia mused as the half-dozen soldiers escorting him fanned out, drawing their weapons. The General ignored her in favor of tossing a glance towards the head miner, “Foreman Varl, good work tripping the silent alarm.” He then turned his gaze upon Hyperia, eyeing her curiously, “You show uncharacteristic mercy, Sith, leaving Varl and his crew alive. I am General Elexis Frellka of the Republic Strategic High Command and you are in violation of the Treaty of Coruscant. We have you dead to rights, surrender now.”

Pushing away from the pallets she had been leaning upon, Hyperia chuckled, “I couldn’t care less about the Treaty of Coruscant.”

General Frellka fixed her with a narrow-eyed glare, “That’s obvious. It’s unfortunate you’ve discovered our plans, but no matter. The wheels are already in motion. Our new technology will deliver arms superiority to the Republic. And I am ready to give my life to defend this installation.”

Hyperia could not help but exchange a faintly confused glance with Pierce, who silently shrugged and shook his head, “That’s a nice speech and all but….what are you rambling on about? What technology?”

The General seemed genuinely taken aback at this, then laughed, “You don’t even know? Oh, this is too rich! Well, I am certainly not going to enlighten you, Sith, so you will have to go to your grave never knowing. Men! Attack to kill!”

\-----------------------------

Quinn glanced at the chronometer on the console for what seemed like the hundredth time since he had last contacted her with the coordinates to their target. _It’s like Balmorra all over again_ , he thought to himself. Except this time, she was accompanied by that boorish Lieutenant instead of the twi’lek. To be honest, he wasn’t sure which one was worse. He had at least witnessed the twi’lek’s competence in battle, but the Lieutenant was an unknown. As a member of a Black Ops team, he had to have no small amount of skill but, nonetheless, Quinn still did not trust the man. He exhibited absolutely no respect for authority…neither for Moff Hurden (which Quinn did have to reluctantly admit, seemed to be less than competent himself) nor Lord Hyperia…and that grated on Quinn’s nerves like nothing else.

The comm suddenly beeped, stirring him from his thoughts, and Hyperia’s form resolved upon the display, “Captain, we have taken care of General Frellka and I’m sending over some information we acquired in the process. I need you to go through it and determine if there are any clues as the locations of the other Generals. Once that is complete, forward the data onto Moff Hurden. This ‘Project Siantide’ that it describes could be of great use to the Empire.”

“Of course, my Lord”, he replied, his gaze skipping over to a secondary monitor where the data was now streaming, “I am receiving it now.”

“Good, we will be heading back to you momentarily. I have faith that you will have answers for me by the time we return.” A brief smile crossed her lips before the comm switched off.

Bolstered by her confidence in him, Quinn set to work sifting through the expansive datapack she had sent over, relishing the opportunity to tackle a challenging problem.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly-abrupt ending, but I felt it a good place to leave off for the moment. 
> 
> I decided to take some liberties with the vanilla game and switch out Pierce with Quinn as far as who stayed behind to do the triangulation. To me, it made much more sense to have Pierce do what he does best and be a field soldier...plus it allowed Hyperia to get to know him a little better (though not in the way he originally wanted), and vice versa. I had thought to have their conversation run a little longer, but opted not to brain-dump everything all at once so they have conversation topics for future chapters. I think it will be interesting to have Hyperia run interference between him and Quinn, trying to get them to at least partially understand one another...especially once Pierce becomes part of the crew. Sure, it's fun to push their buttons on occasion, but she'll figure out that they need to not be at each others' throats all the time if they're going to work together.
> 
> And wow...30 chapters down! Woo hoo!


	31. The Swamp Has Eyes (Taris Pt 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Georgie's in the jungle  
> Knockin' on the door  
> Come to get your children  
> Wants to have a war
> 
> Come on  
> Lord you'd better run  
> Be a long dark night  
> Before this thing is done  
> \--"Long Dark Night" by John Fogerty
> 
> On the hunt for General Minst...

Hyperia and Pierce returned to the base to be greeted by a squad of rough-looking men and woman, all clad in battle-scarred armor similar to the Lieutenant’s. Pierce released a cry of recognition and strode to the group, who welcomed him with back-slaps and friendly greetings.

“Can ya give me a minute or two, m’Lord?” Pierce enquired as she stood watching with obvious amusement.

“Take whatever time you need, Lieutenant. We will be in the command center”, she replied as she slipped past the boisterous group to enter the relative quiet of the isolated room where Quinn sat, eyeing the door with mild distaste.

“I am glad to see you back, my Lord. If for no other reason than to get that noisy pack of beasts out of here”, he commented with a weary sigh. “You cannot imagine how difficult it is to concentrate when you have three people trying to regale you with their exploits during ‘Operation Force Crush’….all at the same time…at the top of their lungs.”

Hyperia chuckled as she perched upon the edge of the expansive desk dominating the room and reached over to snag a leftover piece of dried kelp from the nearly-empty plate sitting nearby. “I can imagine.”

Quinn frowned as she picked from his plate and shook his head, “My Lord, you don’t need to do that. I procured dinner for you as well.” Reaching beneath the console, he produced a covered dish and placed it on the desk beside her. “I had to hide it so that one of those primitives wouldn’t steal it. They didn’t even care that you were a Sith Lord.” She couldn’t help but smile at the pure outrage in his voice.

“So, were you able to ferret out any of the other Generals from the data I sent?” Hyperia enquired between bites of fried nexu strips. It wasn’t Alderaanian cuisine by any means, but there was something to be said for simple rations sometimes…especially when half the day had been spent slogging through the swamp.

“I believe I have an accurate set of coordinates for General Minst’s location. The product from the mine you found General Frellka in is being shipped to an abandoned reactor core in the sewer section and General Minst is apparently in charge of that aspect of production of this ‘Project Siantide’ that was mentioned.”

Hyperia couldn’t help but groan inwardly at “abandoned reactor core in the sewer”. _This planet just gets more exciting by the minute._ “What do we know about this project? Frellka was not very forthcoming about it…only mentioning that it was some sort of technological marvel that would deliver arms superiority to the Republic.”

Quinn frowned, obviously more than a little disappointed that he had not been able to glean much from the download, “Unfortunately, there was not much detail included in that data. However, from what I could deduce, the Republic apparently has found a way to mine…and utilize…the residue from the life-forms incinerated here during the bombardment centuries ago. They seem to be refining it into some sort of energy source.”

Rubbing her temples wearily, she sighed, “We probably need to head out soon, then. With the caravans destroyed and Frellka dead, I’m sure the remaining generals are going to be scrambling to protect their project.”

Even as she spoke, Pierce re-entered the room, trailing his Black ops compatriots…all of whom seemed rather disgruntled, “Yer not wrong, m’Lord. Scout report says General Durant’s battalion is on the move. Odds are he’s fortifying his position. Was gonna take my boys here to discretely tail them and find out where he’s holed up….”

Hyperia frowned as he trailed off in obvious irritation, “I get the sense that there’s a reason why you haven’t?”

Pierce hitched a thumb behind him, his scowl deepening, “Moff Hurden sent one of his platoons instead. Grounded me and the boys. His forces are engaging Durant’s as we speak.” The burly soldier shook his head, literally growling, “Damn fool is killing our chances.”

“Go fetch the Moff….then get yourselves out there and find Durant’s base”, Hyperia replied with mild annoyance. _Why does every mission have to turn into an utter disaster because of some incompetent idiot?_

“Gladly, m’Lord. Good luck with Minst.” With that, Pierce and his men strode from the room.

A few minutes later, Moff Hurden appeared in the doorway, a mixture of excitement and apprehension upon his slender face, “I hear that the Lieutenant has updated you on the search for General Durant. Thanks to me, his battalion will not be joining me wherever he is.”

Hyperia fixed the skinny Moff with a narrow-eyed glare, “Yes….’wherever he is’. Unfortunately, because of your brash actions, we do not know that.” She began snaking tendrils of Force around his thin neck as her voice dropped ominously, “My hunt for the War Trust is complex. You will clear all actions through me first from here on out.”

The Moff’s eyes bulged as his hands began scrabbling at his throat, “Y—Yes, my Lord.”

“I have sent Pierce and his men to try to locate the base. Let them do their job, so that I can do mine. Am I clear?” Dropping her hand, she released the Force grip upon him and he coughed out an affirmative reply as she dismissed him with a sharp wave of her hand. “Now go.” Bowing, the Moff quickly fled the room.

Turning to Quinn, she offered him a wry smile, “Well, it looks like you get to join me in trudging through the sewers after all.”

Dipping his head into a respectful bow to conceal the faint cringe that threatened to cross his features, he replied, “I cannot say that I am looking forward to it, but so long as I am at your side, my Lord, I will endure.”

\---------------------------------

The journey to the underground reactor core was lengthy and night fell with a strange quickness, covering the swamplands in an ominous darkness, echoing with the harrowing calls of the various Tarisian wildlife. Hyperia remained silent through most of the way, though whether it was due to concentration on the task at hand, a desire to not alert any of the predators to their presence, or just sheer weariness, Quinn was not certain. She had once again flipped the hood over her head, so her face was obscured in unreadable shadows.

With little else to do, Quinn’s thoughts also turned inward as they trudged through the overgrown ruins scattered about the area. He couldn’t help but replay the previous evening’s events in his mind. At first, the remembrance of their brief, yet intense encounter stirred a sort of languid desire within him. But, thinking back on the events prior began to give him pause. The more he thought about exactly what she had done…to both him and Pierce….the more incensed he became.

 _I had thought she was toying with him…but she was trying to goad me as well. She was playing us against one another…even leading me to believe that she wanted him, just to rile me up so she could…._ He let the thought trail off, trying to reassure himself, but failing, recalling all the previous times she had seduced someone right before his eyes.

 _FimmRess, the Jedi Xylixx, even Lord Rathari and Jaesa….they were all putty in her hands. How many times have I said it, that it seems nearly impossible for anyone to tell her ‘no’? I guess I had hoped…_ What had he hoped? That, after the night in Nar Shaddaa, things would change between them? Even though she had implied that it was something more than “a diverting little fling”, he still did not know exactly what that meant.

He was beginning to think that night was a terrible mistake. _I should have kept my distance…this has only managed to complicate things even more. And if Baras finds out…_ Quinn had to restrain a laugh at the sheer irony of it all. _He put me on her ship, hoping to get her to fall for me, but instead I fell for her. It makes me wonder…who was manipulating who? She is Baras’ apprentice, trained by him, and I am his spy…we are both Baras’ pawns in this._

Any further thought was quelled as they reached the entrance to the ruined transport station that lead underground to the reactor. Hyperia was eyeing a cluster of pale creatures that were milling near the entrance, their trilling growls resonating through the night air.

“Rakghouls, my Lord”, Quinn offered quietly, not wishing to attract the beasts’ attention. “We must be wary. Even the slightest scratch or bite can carry the virus.”

She studied the milling creatures for a moment more but, as soon as Quinn was about to offer a potential strategy, she leapt into their midst, landing with a shockwave of Force scattering the snarling monsters. A few died instantly, smashed against the walls of the enormous pipe that led down to their destination, but still more remained, stunned, yet alive.

Unable to restrain a soft growl of frustration, Quinn drew his pistol and took aim, trying to pick off as many of the rakghouls as possible before they could regain their senses and close in on her. But he quickly discovered his worry was unfounded, for she had her own methods of keeping the snarling creatures at bay. She hurled one saber, cutting two of the beasts in half even as she used the Force and flung another three into the wall with a resounding crunch before impaling one who leapt at her back with her other saber, even as the first snapped back into her outstretched hand. She was a dark blur of motion in the nighttime gloom, her twin sabers illuminating the carnage in a scarlet glow. And, before he could even blink, it was over, the darkness again overtaking them as she deactivated her sabers with a reverberating hum.

\--------------------------

Hyperia took a deep breath of relief before gesturing Quinn to follow as she stepped around the rakghoul bodies and entered the ruins of the transport station. To be honest, she had been terrified during the entire fight….not of the creatures themselves but of the dreaded plague they carried. Not only that, but all the way there she could feel Quinn’s emotions bouncing about behind her like moths trapped in a jar. Something was bothering him, but she could not discern what it was and it was distracting. So she dealt with it as a Sith: by taking all of that emotion and channeling it into strength.

She was still riding on the buzz of energy when they encountered their next pack of rakghouls….and the next. The creatures were literally infesting the entire transport station, but with Quinn’s help she swept them aside with relative ease, clearing a path to the elevator which led down to the reactor core.

Once there, rakghouls gave way to Republic soldiers, and Hyperia fed off of their anger and fear, cutting through the squads that attacked until they emerged into the reactor core itself. Standing in the middle of the vast room that was dominated by massive cylinders, glowing with barely-harnessed power, stood the General and his entourage. Unlike Frellka, Minst spared no words and sent his men to the attack almost immediately.

The fight was pitiably brief, the Rodian General’s bodyguards no match for the Sith Lord and her companion. Even the General himself was a rather disappointing wretch who almost immediately began begging for his life as soon as Hyperia thrust her lightsaber towards his throat.

“Please, if you’ve come for Project Siantide….um…let’s talk this through.”

Hyperia could not help but wonder how such a pathetic creature could have ever become a high-ranking General. “Talk….and make it quick”

“Erm…well, I wish I could…but it is going to take some time to get…all the information you want”, the green-scaled alien stuttered nervously before dissolving into a wailing wreck, “No! I can’t do this! I—I’m not General Minst. I’m just a lowly grunt! I don’t want to die for this!”

Eyeing him warily, Hyperia reached out with the Force and found no deception, but only sheer terror and the overwhelming need to flee the place….and not engendered solely by her presence. “Then where is the real General Minst, worm?”

With shaking hands, the little Rodian pulled out a datapad, “He fled…deleted all the files and set the reactor to self-destruct! He muted the countdown and told me to stall you…listen!” At the push of a button on the datapad, a voice began echoing through the core, _The power reactor will self destruct in five minutes._

“Where….is…he?” Hyperia’s voice took on a threatening growl.

“He’s in the fallout vault!” The imposter quickly offered a small keypad device to them and Quinn took it while Hyperia kept her saber steadily at the Rodian’s throat. “That’s the code sequencer you’ll need to get in! But it will take about a minute to input them all in!” Almost as though on cue, the voice again reverberated through the complex, _Self destruct in 4 and a half minutes._

“Please! The vault is just down at the end of the corridor, that way!” The Rodian gestured back the way they came. “Can I go now!? I don’t want to die!”

For a moment, Hyperia contemplated just killing the mewling creature just to shut him up, but decided against it…almost pitying the situation he had been put into. “Go…before I change my mind!” She sheathed her saber and made a shoo-ing gesture to him. Before the words had even left her lips, the Rodian turned and fled, yelling over his shoulder, “Thank you!”

 _Four minutes to self-destruct_ , the voice intoned through the complex, spurring the pair to action. Without another word, they both took off at a run in the direction the Rodian had indicated. And as promised, a thick cortosis and durasteel door stood at the end of the corridor, a small console with keypad embedded into the wall next to it.

“Captain, could you do the honors?” Hyperia gestured to the console, “I don’t know if I trust myself to type fast enough right now.”

Casting a glance over to her, Quinn nodded, noting that she did appear a bit pale and weary, “Of course, my Lord.” Even as he spoke, he activated the sequencer and began entering the string of codes into the console as they popped up.

_Self-destruct in sixty seconds_

Even as his fingers flew over the keys, Quinn commented, “The imposter’s estimate had better be correct. If this takes more than a minute, we risk being caught in the explosion.”

Hyperia tapped her fingers restlessly on the hilt of her saber, attempting to use her anxiety to combat her weariness, “I have faith in you, Quinn. You have not failed me yet.”

Feeling a swell of confidence emerging at her encouragement, he endeavored to type faster, even as the automated voice once again proclaimed, _The reactor core will self-destruct in 45 seconds._

At this point, Hyperia began pacing as to avoid looming over his shoulder….and caught a glimpse of a trio of republic soldiers lurking just around the corner, apparently plotting to follow them into the vault as soon as it was opened. Thankful to have some sort of release for the nervous tension she had built up, she murmured quickly to Quinn, “We have company. Don’t stop…I’ll take care of it.”

As the words left her lips, she leapt at the soldiers, cutting them down almost before they had a chance to react. Disappointed that it had not been enough of a battle to vent some of her restless energy on, she returned to where Quinn was still rapidly punching in codes, his jaw set in intense concentration.

_Self destruct in 10 seconds._

Hyperia felt her stomach lurch at the warning and tried desperately to not scream at Quinn to type faster. _This is not how I want to die._ Even though she realized she should probably keep quiet, she couldn’t help but throw out in a last-ditch attempt at levity, “Well, if you have any last words, I guess now is the time.”

Quinn pushed one last button and stepped away from the console to fix her with a gaze that was both melancholy and solemn, “I think you already know how I feel about you, my L—Hyperia.”

_Vault code sequence complete._

The look that she gave him in return was a mixture of shock, curiosity, and …amusement. He felt his own innards twist as he glanced away, both frustrated and resigned. _I couldn’t say it. Not even now, at the verge of death. It’s probably for the best anyway._

_Self-destruct in 5 seconds._

_Vault lock disarming…_

_Vault door air lock releasing…._

_Vault open…_

With a groan of metal, the door slid open, even as an ominous rumble reverberated through the complex. Snapped from their mutual reveries, Hyperia yelled, “Go!” as she darted for the door, Quinn right at her heels.

Within the vault stood a Rodian identical to the imposter and a human associate. The human quickly punched a code into the datapad in his hand and the door slammed shut just as Hyperia and Quinn could feel the heat from the explosion surging towards them. The ground shook and everyone staggered to retain their footing for a moment before the aftershock subsided.

“That was reckless, Sith! You could have killed us all!” This from the Rodian who Hyperia assumed was the _real_ General Minst. A hint of annoyance entered the General’s voice as he shook his head, “I suppose this means my imposter turned tail. Stupid of me to entrust a grunt. I should have sacrificed my advisor.” The human standing at the General’s side tossed him a shocked, yet irritated glare.

 _This General must be a real joy to work for_ , Hyperia could not help but muse silently. “This was all a waste of time and energy.” Anger began to seep into her words…she was exhausted and being nearly caught up in the explosion of the reactor core did nothing to help her mood.

“No, it wasn’t. With the core gone, there is no way the Empire can replicate our research with Project Siantide. There is nothing more important than our project and now it is out of your reach.” It was hard to tell on the Rodian’s tiny lips, but Hyperia thought he might be smirking, “Or rather, it was a waste of time and energy for you because now you have nothing. This station was the only one that could convert the substance. Now the Empire will be outmatched on every battlefield.”

Hyperia rolled her eyes, “I’m not here for your project, I’m here to kill you.” She eyed him for a long moment, “But…your project does sound useful…and I don’t doubt that, at the very least, you know where Generals Durant and Faraire are holed up at. So, perhaps you may be of some use after all.” With a sinister smile on her lips, she swung a punch at the Rodian, wincing slightly as her already-bruised knuckles impacted his temple, knocking the alien out cold.

Shaking out her hand, she pulled her commlink out and contacted Moff Hurden….who eventually answered, looking as though she had roused him from his bed. “I have a prisoner. Send men to this location to pick up General Minst. I want him interrogated to see what he knows about the locations of the other two generals as well as all his information on this Project Siantide.”

Stifling a yawn, the Moff nodded, “Right away, my Lord.”

As the holo flickered off, Hyperia leaned wearily on a pallet of crates stacked in the corner of the vault, watching as Quinn finished tying up the General and his advisor with thick zip straps found in a nearby tool box. He tossed her a look tinged with concern as he noted her pale, drawn features. “My Lord, are you not feeling well?”

She merely shook her head, waving him off dismissively, “I’m fine. Just tired. What time is it anyway?”

Consulting the captive advisor’s datapad, he replied, “2352, my lord. Almost midnight.”

She groaned softly, raking her fingers through her hair, “It feels so much later. I feel like I could sleep for days.” It seemed as though from the time they entered the reactor core, her brain had gone to mush. It had taken every bit of her training to concentrate and focus on the mission. She'd had the emotions of herself and her enemies to feed from, but the energy gleaned from it seemed to run out so quickly. Even now, it felt as though every ounce of strength was being rapidly drained from her. She even thought to activate her implants for a burst of pain, just to keep her alert, but she couldn't seem to make her mind work enough to do so.

“You have had a rather long and eventful day, my Lord. It is to be expected….”

He trailed off as she shook her head, “It’s not that. I didn’t even feel this exhausted on Balmorra and I was up for over two…days…….strai….” Her words slid off into a shuddering moan as she collapsed on the floor.

Quinn quickly rushed to her side, kneeling beside her as her body began to convulse. Even as he began running the portable medical scanner over her prone form, a voice murmured from the other side of the room, “Rakghoul got her…” He cut a narrow-eyed glare over to the bound advisor who was watching with a mixture of smugness and fear. “You might as well shoot her now, unless you have some serum handy. What she’s going to become….it won’t be pretty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lordy....this chapter just kicked my butt! Even though most of it is vanilla story, I just couldn't get going on it at all! I could write a couple of sentences, then got distracted with something else. Then once I finally got cranking a bit, I started second-guessing the whole rakghoul infection bit at the end, thinking it was too predictable. But, i decided to include it anyway...made a good cliffhanger cut-off point, I think.  
> I think a good portion of it is that it's been forever since I last went through Taris and, even though I made another Hyperia-clone, she's still a few planets away from getting there, so I don't have any good recent playthroughs to refresh my memory. And I am really not looking forward to Hoth. That planet bores me to tears and I'm honestly planning on leaving out Broonmark as a comp altogether. So those chapters (or maybe even just one) will get rushed through unless I think of some interesting head-canon to supplement it with.  
> I have a million things going through my head for the Dromund Kaas/Draag segment and beyond...it's just getting there that's killing me.


	32. You're My Disease (Taris Pt 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one's ever turned you over  
> No one's tried  
> To ever let you down,  
> Beautiful girl  
> Bless your heart
> 
> I got a disease  
> Deep inside me  
> Makes me feel uneasy baby  
> I can't live without you  
> Tell me what I am supposed to do about it  
> Keep your distance from it  
> Don't pay no attention to me  
> I got a disease  
> \--"Disease" by Matchbox 20
> 
> Total head-canon Quinn POV as the race to save Hyperia from the rakghoul plague begins!

_“Rakghoul got her. You might as well shoot her now, unless you have some serum handy. What she’s going to become….it won’t be pretty.”_

Those words were like a punch to the gut for Quinn. Silently, he cursed the fact that they had rushed from the base so quickly, he’d had no time to acquire the coveted antidote to the rakghoul plague. Fixing the Republic advisor with a deadly stare, he spoke in an even deadlier tone, “For your sake, you had better have some.”

The advisor released a laugh that was fearful, yet mocking, “Idiot, you’re in the middle of a Republic base. We have medics who keep the serum handy.” His thin lips curled into a sneer, “Too bad you and your Sith woman here probably killed them all. But if you’d like to spend her last hours searching the base…or wait, sorry….you can’t…the reactor explosion destroyed everything…including the medical stores, I would imagine.”

Quinn felt an uncharacteristic rage starting to swell and he pulled his pistol. He could shoot the man now, but somehow that would have been too quick. So he opted to smash the butt of the blaster square into the man’s jaw, feeling a sort of satisfaction at the sound of shattering bones and subsequent scream of agony.

As the republic advisor crumpled to the floor in pain, Quinn pulled out his commlink and activated a line to the Moff even as he began searching the man for any trace of the serum. The instant the Moff’s image wavered into view, Quinn shelved his rage and panic behind military bearing and quickly addressed him, “Moff Hurden. We need you to send a medic with your inbound team. Make sure they are carrying the rakghoul serum.”

The Moff’s eyes went wide and Quinn could hear the fear creeping into his voice, “They’re already on their way...no medic, but at least one of them should be equipped with the serum. We never let anyone out into the wilds without it.”

 _No one except us_ , Quinn silently cursed himself yet again before addressing the Moff once more, “What is their ETA?”

Hurden briefly consulted something off-screen and replied, “They are in a troop transport, so assuming they don’t run into any sort of trouble, I would estimate their arrival to your location in about 30 minutes.”

“Very well”, Quinn replied, even though 30 minutes seemed like an eternity, “Impart on them the necessity of getting here ASAP.”

“I shall do that, Captain. Hurden out.” With that the holo flickered and went dim, the vault now silent aside from the advisor’s pained whimpering and Hyperia’s gurgling groans as her body twitched and flailed.

He moved to kneel at her side, calling upon every ounce of his battlefield medic training to examine her objectively, searching for any sign of a bite or scratch. Her spasmodic convulsing, as well as the black material of her clothing made it difficult, but he eventually found a small tear in the fabric behind her right knee. The small cut slowly oozed blood and a sickly green ochre, contrasting sharply with her skin which had begun to turn a greyish pale.

Laying his fingers along her neck, he noted that her pulse was thready and her skin was clammy and damp. For once, he was thankful that he’d had downtime while she had been out hunting General Frellka with Pierce, for he had used some of the time to research the rakghouls and their disease.

According to his findings, the virus did not enter an incurable state until at least 6 hours after being contracted, so there was still time. Though it was theorized that Force users could be more susceptible to its effects…even being transformed into a separate subspecies of rakghoul called “nekghouls”. _I will not let that happen to you, my Lord_ , he thought vehemently, wishing that he could hold the disease at bay through sheer force of will. He had to fight back the urge to take her hand and push away the sweat-soaked tendrils of hair clinging to her face, for the advisor was still conscious and glaring at him intently and Quinn refused to show weakness to this Republic worm. He briefly pondered knocking the man unconscious when the sound of voices echoed down the corridor.

Rising to his feet, Quinn hurried to the vault door, pistol drawn just in case the voices did not belong to their allies. A moment later, he had to refrain from exhaling a sigh of relief when a trio of armored Imperial soldiers came into sight, picking their way through the rubble littering the corridor. The one in the lead, bearing a sergeant’s flair upon his arm, snapped a quick salute as they approached.

“Sir, we came as fast as we could. Moff Hurden mentioned that someone got bitten?”

Quinn led them into the room, where their two captives still sat motionless against the wall…one unconscious, the other barely conscious and nursing a broken jaw…and Hyperia lay, pale and shivering uncontrollably. The sergeant gestured to one of his men, who rushed forward to kneel at the Sith’s side. “Where’s the wound, sir?”, he asked Quinn as he pulled out a syringe filled with a pale yellow liquid.

Carefully rolling Hyperia onto her side, he indicated the small cut on the back of her knee. Nodding, the soldier poised the hypo just above the wound and turned to Quinn, his features unreadable behind the helmet, but his words filled with urgency, “I need you to hold her still, sir. Unfortunately, the cure’s almost as bad as the disease.” Quinn nodded and with a quick motion, the soldier injected the serum into Hyperia’s leg. Almost immediately, her body arched and she released a ragged scream of pain. Quinn couldn’t help but wince in sympathy as he held her shoulders down, the soldier gripping her ankles to subdue her convulsions.

After a moment, she collapsed with a moan, her skin a slight shade less grey than before, though still damp with sweat and hot to the touch. The soldier released her ankles and nodded, “The worst is over now. She’ll be feverish for a few hours and weak for another day or so. But she’ll recover.”

“Too bad”, the retort came from the advisor who was being drug to his feet by the sergeant. “Would’ve been one less Sith in the galaxy”, he ground out through his broken jaw, managing to spit blood onto the floor at her side.

Without missing a beat, Quinn drew his pistol and put a single blaster bolt through the man’s forehead. The sergeant barely flinched before dropping the man’s dead weight onto the floor. “Hoping that wasn’t General Minst, sir.”

“It wasn’t”, Quinn replied coldly, re-holstering his weapon.

“Alright…then I guess this is the General”, the sergeant turned to the unconscious Rodian still slumped against the wall. “Corporal?” The third soldier nodded and unceremoniously hoisted the alien over his shoulder. The Private who had been tending to Hyperia glanced to his NCO and said, “I can get the Sith, Sarge.”

With the care of someone tending to a baby bird, the Private gathered Hyperia into his arms and rose to his feet. Quinn felt the slightest twinge of envy, seeing her vulnerable form cradled against the man’s armored chest, but the soldier inclined his head respectfully to him and said, “Ready when you are, sir.”

\---------------------------

The trip back to the command center was mercifully short and the soldiers quickly off-loaded the General to take to the brig while the Private once more scooped up Hyperia and carried her to the medbay, Quinn in tow. Even as he laid her on the bed and the slender, grey-haired medic began setting up the medscan, her comm began softly chirping. Quinn fished it from the folds of her robe and moved towards a far corner of the room for privacy. The familiar image of Lieutenant Pierce wavered into view, apparently crouched behind something, his eyes darting about watchfully.

“M’Lo…..oh”, he trailed off as soon as he realized it was Quinn who had answered, “Captain….I’ve got news for Lord Hyperia.”

“She is indisposed at the moment, Lieutenant”, Quinn replied testily, “You may impart the information to me and I shall pass it on to her.”

“Don’t know if I’ll have time for that, but if you say so”, Pierce’s own voice was tense, his gaze still scanning the area, the sound of blaster fire in the background. “Found Durant’s hideout. He’s got a full battalion guarding the compound. They’re establishing an electronic defense perimeter.”

Quinn scowled, pondering over this information for a split-second, realizing that something was not right. “From what I’m hearing in the background, I’m assuming you ran into some sort of trouble, Lieutenant.”

Pierce briefly fixed him with an annoyed glare, obviously not pleased at the fact, nor that Quinn had deduced it so quickly, “My black ops troops were able to slip past the perimeter before it was fully established, but we were spotted. We’re taking fire…outnumbered. Should be able to hold out until you and M’Lord get here, though….if you don’t take too long.”

Cutting a glance over to where Hyperia lay, still unconscious and appearing quite pale, Quinn shook his head, “That’s not going to be possible.” He briefly debated informing the Lieutenant of her status and decided that, if nothing else, it would at least let the man know that Quinn wasn’t leaving him to twist in the wind due to sheer dislike of him, “Lord Hyperia was seriously injured. She won’t be ready for combat for at least another day.”

“Damn”, Pierce growled, “Well, see if Hurden can send his battalion…or anything. I don’t care if I die out here, just someone needs to take advantage of the fact that we’re holding them back. If nothing else, at least our bodies will slow the charge.”

“I will see what I can do, Lieutenant. I don’t believe in leaving a man behind….even one such as you.” Before Pierce could respond, he flipped off the comm. After a moment’s thought, he reactivated it, contacting the ship.

A few minutes later, a rather sleepy-looking Vette answered, “Heya Capt’n, what’s up? You know it’s like….1 in the morning, right?”

Quinn hated that he was having to depend on Vette for anything, but this mission was too important to just leave in the hands of Pierce and Hurden. With Hyperia indisposed, he was forced to rely on backup…which meant the twi’lek and Hyperia’s new apprentice. “I am aware, Vette, yes. I need you and Jaesa to shuttle down here immediately.”

Vette seemed to perk up just slightly, her eyes showing a tinge of worry, “Is something wrong? What happened? Where’s Hyperia?”

Gritting his teeth in annoyance at the twi’lek’s incessant questions, he growled, “Just get down here. I will explain when you arrive.” Without waiting for a response, he cut the transmission and returned to check on Hyperia.

The medic had just finished making her comfortable while the Private who had carried her in stood nearby, watching. The soldier had removed his helmet, revealing him to be incredibly young, with tousled dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes. _Fresh-faced and straight out of the Academy, probably_ , Quinn mused.

“You did an excellent job, Private Landry”, the medic declared, “It’s nice to know _someone_ pays attention during the briefings.”

The soldier flushed and shrugged expressively, “It was nothing, Doc. Helped that I just had the class two days ago…was still fresh in my mind. Think that’s why Sarge had me take care of her. He knew I’d remember.”

“Well, you did well. She should pull through just nicely.” Turning to Quinn as he approached, the medic gave him a nod of recognition, “Sir, your Lord will be a bit weak for the next day or so, but she will recover. You were lucky that someone like the Private was on the team.”

Quinn slanted his gaze to the Private who quickly snapped to attention, “Indeed. I shall speak to Moff Hurden concerning some sort of commendation for the young man. He did an excellent job and I am grateful. As I’m sure my Lord shall be as well, once she is alert once more.”

The medic also turned to the young man who seemed fair to burst with pride and chuckled, “Okay Private, get back to your duties before your head gets too big to fit in my medbay.”

“Yessir!” Gathering up his helmet, the Private offered them both a sharp salute, then fled the room.

“Good kid, that one”, the medic mused as his eyes followed the Private’s retreating form. “Not many of his like coming out of the Academy these days….and even fewer who want to give him a chance to excel. Hope you’re good to your word, Captain. He deserves to have someone recognize his dedication to the Empire.”

“You needn’t worry, I will make sure he is properly rewarded for his service”, Quinn replied, returning his attention to Hyperia’s resting form.

“She’ll be fine”, the medic reassured him, “You should get some sleep yourself.”

Quinn waved him off dismissively, “I will shortly. I have another issue to address before I do.”

“Very well, I’ll leave you to it.” With that, the medic left the room, leaving Quinn alone with his unconscious Lord. Settling on the edge of the bed, he cautiously took her hand, wrapping his fingers around her damp, cool own.

 _Why couldn’t I tell you? I should have…said something. Twice you almost died and still I hesitate._ He quietly sighed. _I shouldn’t feel this way about you. One day, Baras is going to force one of us to choose. I know who I would choose…but, do you?_ It didn't help that it had been his fault she was even in this state. Had he taken the brief amount of time it would have taken to grab a dose of the serum on their way out, she would not have suffered as much.

“Whoa! What happened?!” The familiar voice of Vette sharply broke the silence and Quinn self-consciously dropped Hyperia’s hand, feeling his neck start to flush as he rose to his feet to address the two young women.

“Lord Hyperia was attacked by a rakghoul. She will recover, but I need one of you to accompany me on the mission to take out General Durant….and possibly rescue a trapped squad...while the other stays with her.” He kept his tone cool and to-the-point, not wishing to deal with any more of the twi’lek’s incessant prattling.

“Whoa whoa whoa, now!” Vette waved a hand to interrupt him. “You don’t look like you’re in any shape to go attacking anything yourself. Jaesa and I can handle this.”

Quinn frowned, about to contradict the twi’lek before realizing how exhausted he really was. It felt wrong to just sit on the sidelines while the two girls handled such a vital mission, but tactically, it would be even more illogical to lead the mission while he was feeling less than optimal himself. “Are you sure?”

Vette rolled her eyes, “Are you kidding? Who do you think did all the ass-kicking at Hyperia’s side before you came along? And Jaesa’s no slouch either.”

Quinn glanced at the dark-haired apprentice who had fixed him with a steady glare, arms crossed defiantly. “I will make sure we do not disappoint my Master. Have no worries”, the girl insisted.

“Very well”, Quinn replied with a resigned huff, “I expect regular updates and contact me _immediately_ if you run into any trouble.”

“Got it, boss!” Vette chirped all-too-cheerfully. “Let’s go, Jaesa!” With that, the two girls slipped from the room, Vette nudging Jaesa playfully to murmur, “Figure we’re doing him a favor letting him stay at her bedside.”

Jaesa replied quietly as they departed the base, “Yes….he’s in love with her….too bad that he hates himself for it…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some fun with this. So glad some head-canon came along to spice up what was looking to be a rather boring segment. (Hope the same happens on Hoth!) Obviously changed up the whole Durant mission since now Vette and Jaesa will be handling it. Poor Quinn probably doesn't know whether to stress more over that or Hyperia at this point! ;-)
> 
> Enjoy!


	33. The Longest Day (Taris Pt5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sliding we go  
> Only fear on our side  
> To the edge of the wire  
> And we rush with the tide  
> Oh, the water is red  
> With the blood of the dead  
> But I'm still alive  
> Pray to God I survive
> 
> How long on this longest day  
> 'Till we finally make it through  
> \--"The Longest Day" by Iron Maiden
> 
> The final target awaits among the haze of fevered dreams and frantic realities...

_Rain….thunder…_

_Melting away….washing pieces of me away….must get inside…_

_A building looms near….my legs…I can’t feel them….they’re dissolving…._

_Crawling to shelter….PAIN….stinging like a thousand needles…._

_Spiders, tiny, swarming over the ruined parts…trying to stitch them back together…_

_Finally out of the rain….shelter…_

_Forms in the shadows….Malavai…Jaesa….Vette…_

_Help me… **A Sith does not cry out for help** …another voice….who?_

_Thunder roars…shaking the building loose…crumbling like clay….stones falling to bury…NO! Not again!_

_They crowd around…my crew…friends…. **A Sith has no friends...** again the voice._

_A flash of light…PAIN….blaster bolt tears through flesh, bone and brain, leaving a smoking hole…_

_I can still see….Quinn, holding the pistol, expression dead…why am I still alive?_

_Jaesa’s saber exploding from his chest….Vette’s pistols shrieking holes in Jaesa’s skull, then her own…._

_Can’t move…the glow of a saber illuminates….Baras…._

_Lightning flashes overhead as the saber swings down, severing head from body…._

_Why am I still alive?_

**_Pain has always made you strong…_ **

_Thunder roars…and the world explodes, turning all to ash…_

_Screaming…dissolving into nothingness…._

**_When everything has been stripped from you, only then will you know your true power and destiny…_ **

Images slowly resolved into view…dim lights illuminating a medbay where she sat upright, gasping for breath.

“My Lord?” The familiar voice spoke quietly with concern by her side and she could not help but flinch slightly at the sight of him, recalling the muzzle of his blaster still smoking as it tore a hole through her skull. _It was just a dream_ , she reassured herself, even though the echoes of it still brought a wave of disquiet to her. The images had been bad enough, but the voice that had whispered through it was disturbingly familiar, though she did not know why.

Attempting to wrench herself from the aftereffects of the dream and back into her current reality, she rubbed her temples wearily, “What happened?”

“You were bitten by a rakghoul, my Lord. Neither of us realized until you passed out. Thankfully, the team sent by Moff Hurden to retrieve the General had the antidote on them.” Quinn bowed his head submissively, his gaze downcast with obvious regret, “I apologize, my Lord. It was my fault. I did not think to acquire the serum before we left the base. Had I done so, you would have been saved a great amount of suffering. Had they not…”

Before he could continue, a voice called out from the doorway, “Ah, you’re awake, my Lord!” The grey-haired medic strode into the room to stand at her bedside, activating the medical scanner as he laid one hand upon her forehead. “How do you feel?”

Hyperia frowned, a shiver running along her spine…though from the chill in the room or remembrance of her dream, she could not say, “Cold…a bit dizzy…weak”. The last said with no small amount of hesitation. She did not like to admit weakness…especially to one she did not know, medic or not.

“Understandable”, the man nodded, stowing the scanner, “You are still a bit feverish, but it should pass by the end of the day. I did not give you anything for it because the serum needs to run its course and purge the last of the virus from you. Being a Force-user is both advantage and disadvantage in this case.” At Hyperia’s curious look, he continued, “The virus spread more quickly, but it is also being purged more rapidly as well. Of course, that means that it’s going to be harder on your body, but at least it’s over faster.”

She sighed wearily, “That’s something, at least.” As soon as the words left her mouth, the beeping of a comm interrupted. Quinn activated it and the stout form of Darth Baras appeared.

“Captain Quinn….”, Baras seemed faintly annoyed that the Imperial had answered Hyperia’s comm. “Where is my apprentice?”

“Right here, my Lord”, Hyperia replied, forcing the lethargy from her voice.

Baras’ holo turned to face her, his helmeted head canting slightly in obvious curiosity, “You do not look well, Apprentice. I do hope that it is nothing serious, for the next step in our mission is upon us and you will need all of your strength and resources.”

Hyperia raked a hand self-consciously through her sweat-damp hair and offered her master a lopsided half-smile, forcing levity into her tone, “Nothing that a cup of stimcaf and a turn in the refresher won’t cure.”

A slight hint of annoyance tinged the Dark Lord’s words, “I expect a full report when all this is done. Moff Hurden has updated me on your progress and informed me that Faraire has relocated all of the Republic’s forces on Taris to protect his command center.”

Hyperia fought back a confused frown, wondering what happened to Durant while she had been unconscious, but stowed it for later, “It sounds as though we have him worried and on the run.”

“Do not forget that the most dangerous enemy is a cornered one, apprentice”, Baras rumbled. “You will need to utilize all of your forces, as well as Moff Hurden’s. He has already been informed that you will be commandeering them.” Baras’s image turned again to face Quinn, addressing him, “Captain Quinn, you will be coordinating the attack, along with Moff Hurden. Report to him immediately and contact me when all has been made ready. Do not delay…either of you…time is of the essence.”

Hyperia sighed in resignation as the comm flickered off, “So much for taking some time to recuperate.”

The medic spoke up quietly, “Pardon the interruption, my Lord, but I can give you a stim if you would like. It should enable you to get you through the rest of the day. You will still be feverish, but at least you will have the energy to accomplish your task.”

“Do it”, she replied and the medic quickly prepared the injection before administering it into her arm. Feeling the medicine take effect, she hopped from the bed, only wavering slightly as a faint wave of dizziness hit. She waved off Quinn and the medic as she regained her footing, “I’m fine. Captain, if you could brief me on what went on while I was out on your way to the command center, it would be appreciated.”

“Of course, my Lord.” Quinn restrained himself from offering a steadying hand to her as she turned to lead him from the medbay, but watched her with an appraising eye for any sign that she might falter. She seemed to manage well though, only the slightest slouch of her shoulders betraying that she was not completely recovered.

“Shortly after we arrived back to base, Lieutenant Pierce contacted me…or rather you…to inform you that he and his men had managed to infiltrate Durant’s base, but were pinned down by his forces. He requested our aid, but obviously you were in no condition for it, so I…reluctantly…sent Jaesa and Vette.”

Hyperia turned to raise a brow inquisitively, “Oh? And I assume they succeeded, else I’m certain Baras would have mentioned it.”

“Indeed, they did surprisingly well, in fact. Not only did they take down Durant, but they managed to acquire a weapon in his possession that utilized the ‘Siantide’ technology. I had them pass it on to Moff Hurden to be sent to the appropriate Imperial engineers for study.” Quinn had to admit that he had been pleasantly surprised at the two girls’ success.

“And Lieutenant Pierce’s team?”

Quinn couldn’t help but feel a faint pang of jealousy at the concern in her voice, but stifled it swiftly, “Regrettably, he was the only survivor. The rest of his squad was killed, holding off the bulk of Durant’s forces. An impressive feat, to be honest.” Despite his misgivings about the man himself, Quinn could not help but admire the sheer skill displayed by him and his team in managing such a thing. “He was actually released from the medbay shortly before you awoke.”

Hyperia nodded as they paused before the door to her temporary quarters, “Good. From the way Baras spoke, it sounds as though we will need everyone for this final push. I will join you shortly.”

“Of course, my Lord”, Quinn bowed and, for a brief moment, was tempted to say more…to express his relief that she had survived, to apologize for his carelessness, and to inquire as to what had caused her to look upon him with such fear when she first awoke. But there was no time and already she had entered her quarters, the door sliding closed between them. With a resigned sigh, he proceeded to the command center to meet Moff Hurden.

\--------------------------------------

Several minutes later, Hyperia stepped into the main office of the command center. Quinn had been discussing the final details of their plan with the Moff and Pierce. While neither of them were talented strategists, Quinn had to grudgingly admit that neither were they complete idiots. Pierce knew his job and did it well, even though his attitude towards statistics and procedures was far more casual than Quinn would have liked. Jaesa and Vette stood off to one side, quietly conversing. Quinn had expected Vette at least to have fussed about being sent back on a second mission so soon after the first, but she had surprised him by actually being rather enthusiastic about it. Upon further thought, Quinn remembered that the twi’lek had been running missions with Hyperia exclusively until he came on board. Baras’ insistence that he accompany Hyperia had essentially imposed a forced idleness upon Vette where she was stuck on the ship or running menial tasks. Despite her frivolous attitude, Vette seemed to be quite keen on proving herself valuable.

Noting her entrance, Quinn approached Hyperia, speaking to her in a low tone, “My Lord, we are ready.” Even as he spoke, he used the moment to assess her condition. She had once again donned the dark robes and pulled the hood over her head, so her features were mostly concealed. However, he did note that her skin was still a few shades paler than usual and a few wisps of hair that cling to her cheeks were damp…though whether it was from sweat or the refresher, he could not tell. Her fingers tapped restlessly upon her sabers and twitched as though in desperate need of something to occupy them. _No doubt from the stim the medic gave her_ , he silently deduced, _We shall have to make certain this mission does not drag out overly-long, for when it wears off, she will crash hard._

“Good, let us take this war to Faraire once and for all”, her voice was rough and tinged with a faint weariness, yet the words spilled out in a rush as though speaking was a waste of the built-up energy she was riding on.

Quinn turned and activated the holo, Darth Baras’ form resolving to tower above them imposingly, “I see you are all gathered. Good. Time is of the essence. Lieutenant Pierce, Captain Quinn, bring my apprentice up to speed on our enemy’s activity.”

“Of course, my Lord. It’s a fairly complex situation…” Quinn began, but Hyperia’s mind drifted off almost instantly as she began restlessly pacing the floor. At that moment, she could not have cared less about the details….she just wanted to be pointed at a target and unleashed. The exchange between Quinn and Pierce became a faint buzzing that slowly began to grate on her nerves. _I wish they would stop talking and just get on with this!_

Even as the thought entered her mind, the room fell silent and she glanced up to see both men, as well as Baras, eyeing her expectantly. Having barely heard anything of that had been said, she merely shrugged and commented, “Sounds like a plan.”

Baras’ holo pondered her for a brief moment before rumbling, “Quinn will coordinate from the base and you will lead the front line offensive. Beyond that, I need not hear the details on how you assign your people. Baras out.”

Hyperia could not help but be taken slightly aback by that, _He’s actually splitting up Quinn and I, for once. That’s unexpected…though it makes sense, strategic coordination is what he’s best at._

Before she could ruminate more on that though, Pierce spoke up, “I’m the best choice for front line work. You need a soldier.”

“I disagree”, Quinn interjected almost instantly and Hyperia could barely restrain a groan of frustration. _Must they keep posturing like this now? I just want to get this over with._ Apparently sensing her annoyance, Quinn quickly continued, “If the frontal assault isn’t handled correctly, you will be literally having to wade through over-run battlefield soldiers. Jaesa, however, can aid in identifying the insecure ranks with her power and thin them out considerably before even a shot is fired.”

“Very well”. Normally Hyperia might have brought up that she was more than capable of using the Force to sense weakness in the ranks. However, she knew that in this case, she was actually the weak link in the operation due to her current condition.

“That leaves Vette and Pierce for the power station demolition and spaceport sabotage. If the traps and mines that surround the power station aren’t circumvented in time, you’ll be under constant turret fire inside the base.” Quinn trailed off, awaiting her command.

She couldn’t help but sigh. She knew that he had to defer to her as though nothing was wrong for appearance’s sake, but she honestly trusted him to make the correct decisions and wished that he would just do so. Gesturing idly to Pierce, she addressed him, “Lieutenant, since I denied you the assault, you may decide which of these tasks you feel you are best suited for.”

Pierce looked briefly surprised that she had deferred to him rather than the Captain in this but quickly recovered, “I know how the Republic systems work. I can sabotage their spaceport.” Even so, he glanced to Vette to gauge her reaction.

The twi’lek tossed him a lopsided grin and a casual gesture, “I can dismantle the traps and mines at the power station with my eyes closed….but I’ll keep one open anyway.”

Nodding with obvious approval, Quinn turned to Hyperia, “Then we are ready. I wish you luck my Lord.”

She nodded, feeling the tinge of concern threading his words.

“Let’s get this war started!” Pierce added enthusiastically, “Any words for the troops?”

She rolled her eyes unseen beneath the hood, “Action, not speeches, Lieutenant.”

“Very good m’Lord.” Even as Pierce spoke, Hyperia turned on her heel and strode from the command center, eager to get this mission over with.

\------------------------------------

The journey to Faraire’s command post was short and relatively uneventful. Jaesa could no doubt sense Hyperia’s diminished condition and, though Hyperia could also sense her apprentice’s restless energy, the girl opted for silence as they made their way through the jungle surrounding the base.

Once they encountered the first of Faraire’s forces, Hyperia could immediately tell that this was going to be possibly the most difficult battles of her life. It was not the sheer numbers that were daunting, but her own less-than-optimal condition combined with her unfamiliarity with working alongside Jaesa. She and Quinn had fought so often together, she did not even have to think about what to do anymore since they had long fallen into a synchronous rhythm of just being able to intuit automatically each other’s strategy. Even Vette could be trusted to stay at a distance while Hyperia leapt in to cut down their foes. Jaesa however, was also a melee fighter and always eager to jump into the middle of the fray, which impaired Hyperia’s ability to do so as well. It seemed that they were constantly in one another’s way. Had she been at full-strength, Hyperia would have taken the time to work out a new strategy for the girl or herself, but as it was, she just wanted to get through this in one piece. So, she opted instead to allow her apprentice to take the lead while she mopped up any stragglers who gave her difficulty.

Once they had finally made it inside the command center, Jaesa’s insights proved invaluable in determining that an entire column of soldiers were mere conscripts, forced reluctantly to join the fight. All she needed to do was charge at them, lightsaber drawn and the men quickly fled, leaving the rest for the two Sith and their squad of Imperial solders to mop up.

Hyperia took a moment to catch her breath as the remaining Imperial soldiers began forming up to protect the rear. The door to Faraire’s command center lay ahead and Hyperia could already tell that the stim had almost run its course. _We will have to get through this quickly_ , she thought, striding to the door even as her comm chirped insistently.

Growling in annoyance, she activated it, barely restraining herself from snarling at Quinn’s visage as it wavered into view, “What is it, Captain?” She managed between gritted teeth.

He seemed briefly taken aback at her obvious annoyance, but continued quickly, “My apologies, my Lord. I just wanted to update you on the other fronts.”

“Make it fast”, she hissed, thankful that he could probably not see her hands trembling.

“Of course, my Lord. The power station is destroyed so you should not encounter any turret fire on you way in. Vette managed to easily dismantle the traps and mines around it. You chose well when assigning her to the task. I doubt anyone else could have managed it.”

“I do know what I’m doing, Captain”, Hyperia replied irritably.

“That is abundantly clear, my Lord. Also, Lieutenant Pierce managed to sabotage and lock the spaceport force field. So when Faraire’s reinforcements arrive, they will be trapped in the spaceport.”

Hyperia could sense the slightest amount of grudging respect in his tone and couldn’t restrain a faint chuckle, “You see…the man has his uses.”

“Indeed….he does seem to be at least semi-competent beneath the insubordinate exterior.” Shaking off his musing, Quinn continued, knowing that time was of the essence, “Unfortunately, you will still have Faraire’s elite guard to contend with. I hear they are quite formidable.”

“Lovely”, she groaned wearily.

“Hopefully that will be the last of it, my Lord. I know you can handle it. Good luck.” Hyperia could not help but smile faintly at the confidence in his words. It gave her the last infusion of strength she knew she would need for the battle ahead.

\--------------------------------

 _Finally_ , Hyperia thought as she faced off with General Faraire. She and Jaesa had successfully fought off his elite guard and now the man himself stood before her, silently staring her down. She could feel the stim slowly wearing off and drew her lightsabers, impatient to have this at an end, “Time to join the rest of the War Trust, Faraire.”

“Quite the contrary, Sith. After you took down my fellows, I knew my only chance was to delay you. And my gambit has paid off….” As he spoke, then rumbling of gears and hiss of hydraulics echoed through the room, the deckplates behind the General sliding apart as an immense battle droid rose from the floor below. “I bought enough time for my technicians to solve how to stabilize Siantide cells.”

The droid towered over the two Sith, locking and arming the twin guns that served as appendages, with a metallic intonation, “Enemy sighted. Weapons systems active and locked.”

A faint hint of smugness crossed the older man’s features, “Until now, the Empire has been the one flexing its muscles. With this new power source, it’s our turn. Siantide increases the power output of whatever it powers by tenfold. Your weapons will be obsolete and the Empire will have no other option except surrender…which you should do now.”

Unwilling to let on how much her strength was flagging, Hyperia scoffed, “I don’t think so.” As a last-ditch effort, she activated her implants, sending a surge of pain racing through her body even as she leapt for the droid. If she was going to die, she would at least die fighting and not because of weakness.

The next few moments were a blur of blind rage and pain, a haze of red covering her vision as she and Jaesa weaved about the droid’s towering legs, hacking and chopping at its defenses until it finally collapsed in a smoking heap of durasteel.

With a snarl, she whirled on the General, who immediately turned tail and ran for the exit, but was forced to backpedal abruptly as the doors opened to reveal Pierce, Quinn and Moff Hurden, the Lieutenant with his blaster drawn and leveled at the General’s head.

“Not so fast, General”, Quinn addressed him with a smugness that Hyperia could not help but call to mind his previous victory over the Jedi on Balmorra. _Seems like an eternity ago._ “I had a feeling you might run.”

Hyperia could not help but smile and forced a demeanor of casual strength, despite the unsteadiness in her legs, “Ah Quinn, I can always count on you.”

The General merely stood stoically, fixing the Imperials with a steady glower, “I surrender. I expect to be afforded the treatment promised to prisoners under the Treaty of Coruscant.”

She couldn’t help but release a disdainful snort at this, “You will be treated however Darth Baras wishes you to be treated.”

As she spoke, Moff Hurden gestured his soldiers forward to take the General into custody and stepped forward to stand at her side, pride radiating from the little man. “Congratulations on the success of your mission, my Lord. Taking down the War Trust is an incredible victory. It is clear that you are the future of the Empire and I hope that you will count me among your closest of allies.”

Hyperia dug her nails into her hands, both with irritation and the need to inflict enough pain to keep her going for a few moments longer through the Moff’s incessant droning, “Yes, yes…of course”, she replied wearily.

“As a show of support, I place Lieutenant Pierce under your command. I am sure he will be invaluable in your domination of the galaxy.”

Even as she was starting to tune out the man, her attention was abruptly restored as Pierce strode forward, offering a very slight bow to her. “Works for me. Done what I can here on Taris. Just glad the Moff is willing to let me go.”

Despite her weakened state, she could feel a mixture of relief and discomfort radiating from the Moff. _There’s more going on here than either of them are letting on. I doubt he’s pulling a Baras and using Pierce to spy on me but….he’s definitely not doing this just as a show of generosity._ Hyperia mulled over the offer for a long moment, wishing her head didn’t feel so completely hazy, before gesturing idly to the man. “Very well. I’m sure he’ll have his uses.”

She heard Quinn addressing Pierce as though through a thick fog before everything went dark…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title has a double meaning of the story itself and how long it took me to finally get this written. The past month has been really trying and my writing mojo just completely dried up. I tried taking a break from SWTOR and playing Dragon Age....but that actually made me want to write DA:I fic instead and I really did not want to veer away from this for too long for fear I'd never finish it. Thankfully, things started coming back in slow fits and starts. I have tons of ideas...just not for this particular storyline. I'm going to try and jot down notes to get around to them later. Will post links if/when it happens.  
> Not much more to say other than I'm feeling about as worn-out as Hyperia right now. I think that's why I could actually write this...


	34. Stretched So Thin (Taris Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I can't hold on when I'm stretched so thin  
> I make the right moves but I'm lost within  
> I put on my daily façade but then  
> I just end up getting hurt again by myself  
> "By Myself" by Linkin Park
> 
> Pierce joins the crew...much to the irritation of Quinn and the rest...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Finally getting back into the groove of writing Hyperia and Quinn again after taking a bit of a break to work on other fandoms/couples. I hope I haven't lost too many readers during my extended absence.
> 
> This is kind of a quick chapter to fill in some head-canon until I get my replay clone into the next segment so I can remember just what the heck I was doing! She's on Taris now, so it won't be long!
> 
> I know this wasn't my best chapter. For some reason, even though I had the idea going through my head, I've been feeling so exhausted the past couple of days, so it's been a challenge to get it typed out without wanting to just go take a nap all day. On the upside, it does help me relate to Hyperia's exhaustion after her ordeal.

_“Lieutenant, your insubordination is…”_

_“I’m just askin’ if you’re in charge, or she is!”_

_“While she is indisposed, I am.”_

_“Hey now, when did that happen!?”_

Voices filtered through the closed door of Hyperia’s quarters, stirring her from sleep. She had no idea how long she had been out or even how she had gotten back to the ship. The last thing she remembered was something about Pierce joining her crew, before she had collapsed.

Raking a hand through her auburn hair, she pushed from bed and strode to the door. Everything went dead silent, four pairs of eyes all sliding to her as she stood in the doorway, squinting wearily into the main hold.

“By the Emperor, what is going on in here?!”

As usual, Quinn was the first to speak, inclining his head in a deferential bow, “My apologies, my Lord. We did not mean to wake you. Just a…”, his eyes cut briefly over to Pierce and Hyperia could tell he was fighting back a disdainful sneer, “…minor discipline issue.”

Following his gaze to where the hulking officer stood silently with his arms crossed, she merely quirked a brow inquisitively, Pierce’s broad shoulders shrugging in reply.

“Too-Vee! Get me a caf…now!”

The droid shuffled quickly to obey, “Right away, great Master!”

A moment later, the droid hurried back into the room, passing Hyperia a steaming mug of caf.

“Pierce…come with me”, without another word, she spun on her heel and returned to her quarters, the burly lieutenant following, as Quinn glared icy daggers at his back.

As the door slid closed behind them, Hyperia sipped at the caf, gathering her thoughts. _It’s too damn early...or late…or whatever time it is…for this_ , she thought irritably. Pierce merely stood silently at a sort of slouching attention, his gaze fixed pointedly at the opposite wall. She had to give him credit for not ogling her since she had only now come to the realization that someone had taken the liberty of getting her out of her armor before putting her into bed, so she was clad only in her undergarments.

“So, Lieutenant, what seems to be the problem here? You’ve only been on my ship for…how long now...and already causing issues, it seems?”

“With all due respect, m’Lord, it’s your Captain causing the issues, not me.”

“Really?”, her brows raised over the mug as she settled into the chair. “Perhaps you’d care to expound on that?”

“Of course, m’Lord. He acts like he runs things around here instead of you. Barking orders to everyone, making decisions for you while you’re indisposed.”

Before he could continue, she sat the caf mug upon the desk behind her and fixed him with a narrow-eyed glare, “That’s because he _does_ run things around here when I’m not around. He’s my second-in-command, so you _will_ treat whatever comes out of his mouth as though it is coming directly from me.”

She could feel a wave of disappointment and stubborn resolve emanating from him, “Understood, m’Lord. Just prefer to take my orders direct, is all.”

“What you prefer, Lieutenant is irrelevant. This is _my_ ship and _my_ crew which I run in whatever ways I see fit. Right now, you are at the bottom of the pecking order here. I don’t care if you’re a bloody Moff and Quinn’s a private…this is a _Sith_ vessel, not Imperial military. The chain of command is what I say it is. If you are going to have a problem with that, then I will be more than happy to put you right back on Taris. I am not at all thrilled that Moff Hurden saddled me with you in the first place. Especially considering he took advantage of my…weakened state to do so.”

For once, Pierce actually looked uneasy, “Well, m’Lord…I actually didn’t give him much of a choice. Threatened to rat out his Rodian mistress if he didn’t reassign me. Figured serving with you would be vastly preferable to staying on Taris.”

Hyperia wasn’t sure whether to be disgusted or impressed with the man. “So, you blackmailed him into putting you on my crew?”

“Pretty much.”

As Hyperia let that sink in, the comm chirped, followed shortly by Quinn’s voice, “My Lord, you have a priority call from Darth Baras. He wishes to speak to you privately.”

She tried not to let her apprehension show as she idly gestured to Pierce, “Dismissed, Lieutenant. We will continue this discussion later.” As the door slid closed behind Pierce, she quickly donned a simple black robe and turned back to the comm, “Patch him through to my quarters, Captain.”

A few seconds later, Baras’ stout form wavered into being before her. Before she could get out anything more than “Mast—“, she felt a grip close around her throat and an invisible force drove her to her knees.

“I am most disappointed in you, Apprentice. I have received multiple reports of your collapse on Taris. Do you think for an instant that this sort of blatant display of weakness is something I wish to hear about?”

Struggling to form words around the force squeezing her neck, she shook her head, “N—no, my Lord.”

“You are my representative as you travel the galaxy. Weakness in you is seen as weakness in me. And I will not bear such an insult lightly. Am I understood?” Even as he spoke, Hyperia could feel the weight pressing her to the floor.

“Y—yes, my Lord.” As swiftly as it had appeared, the invisible grasp closing upon her neck and driving her to the ground disappeared. His words still echoing in her mind, she climbed shakily to her feet.

“Now, if you are quite ready to prove that you are still worthy to continue breathing, I have a new challenge for you.”

Forcing back her anger, she inclined her head respectfully, “I am more than ready, my Master. It will not happen again.”

“Good”, he intoned brusquely before continuing, “One of our missing targets, Admiral Monk, has resurfaced. If you recall, my master, Darth Vengean, set off to conquer the Fringe Systems in hopes of inspiring the Dark Council to reignite the war. However, Admiral Monk somehow caught wind of the plan and ambushed my master’s flagship.”

Hyperia scowled thoughtfully, “Could there have been some sort of leak? How would he have known where Vengean would be?”

“That is not your concern at this moment.” Even as Baras spoke the words, Hyperia felt a twinge of paranoia. _He’s hiding something…I can feel it._ “Your only concerns are intercepting the flagship, stopping this siege, and destroying Admiral Monk.”

“Of course, Master. It shall be done.” She fought to maintain a proper modicum of respect in her voice.

“Do not disappoint me again.” With that, his image flickered and faded. Releasing a long breath, she switched over the comm, Quinn’s voice filtering through it a moment later.

“Yes, my Lord?”

“I am sending you coordinates. Set course, then report to me.”

“Right away, my Lord.”

Downing the last of the now-lukewarm caf, she settled on the edge of the bed with a weary sigh. A moment later, the door slid open, admitting Quinn. “Reporting as ordered, my Lord.”

Flicking her gaze to him, she noted his stiff bearing and the wall surrounding his emotions. Her first impulse had been to rise and embrace him. It had been a difficult few days and, right now, she needed to feel his arms around her. But, something in his demeanor stopped her. _He’s shutting me out again. He’s been on edge since that first night on Taris. I thought I was imagining it, but…_

Shaking her head, she forced the thoughts aside, “You should have no further issues with Lieutenant Pierce. I have briefed him on the chain of command and your role in it. If he gives you any problems in the future, you may feel free to bring them to me.”

“Thank you, my Lord. I apologize that it became necessary to involve you. I had hoped to handle the matter myself.”

She waved away his apology with an idle flick of her hand, “He would have forced me to put him in his place eventually. Better that it happened sooner rather than later. When are we expected to arrive at Vengean’s flagship?”

“Approximately one hour, 26 minutes, my Lord.”

“Very well, I shall let you get back to your post. We will need to be battle-ready as soon as we arrive and I”, she rose from the bed with a wry smile, “need to get dressed.”

For a moment, he appeared to hesitate before sketching a hasty bow to her, “Of course, my Lord. I shall leave you to prepare then.” With that, he turned and strode from her room, leaving her to wonder just what was going through his mind this time…

 


	35. Just a Question of Time (Vengean's Flagship)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just a question of time  
> It's running out for you  
> It won't be long  
> Until you do  
> Exactly what they want you to  
> \--"A Question of Time" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Jaesa corners Quinn about his feelings for Hyperia.

Quinn sat silently in the cockpit of Avril’s Fire, watching the criss-cross of turbolaser fire exchanged between the Republic cruiser and Darth Vengean’s flagship. An occasional stray bolt would shake the small craft and his gaze would flick briefly to the shield readout. Satisfied that they would be protected from anything less than a full-on direct hit from the cruiser, he returned to observing the battle.

While the two ships exchanged fire, Hyperia and Pierce had boarded the vessel, seeking out Admiral Monk, one of the last members of the War Trust they were hunting. Normally, Quinn would have bristled at being left behind in favor of the insubordinate Lieutenant. But, whatever Hyperia had said to Pierce in private had apparently managed to put him in his place somewhat, for his demeanor seemed more subdued since then. And, on a more practical note, Quinn was the best pilot on the crew and the logical choice to get them out of there if things went sour.

As another bolt struck nearby, sending a tremor through the ship, Quinn felt a prickling at the back of his neck. Turning, his gaze fell upon Jaesa who stood leaning in the doorway to the cockpit, arms crossed as she watched the battle raging outside. Quinn began to ask her what she was doing there, but before he could get the words out, she quietly spoke.

“You need to tell her, you know.”

Quinn felt a flush rising up his neck and quickly turned his attention back towards the view outside. It was no mystery who he was referring to. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t hide it from me, so don’t even try”, Jaesa’s tone turned as cold as the lightless vacuum. Quinn knew that Hyperia had been working to keep her apprentice in line, but there was still this…edge…about her that hinted at depths of darkness that even her master had not delved into. While he respected Hyperia, he could not help but fear Jaesa, for the girl seemed unpredictable…chaotic.

Struggling to maintain a semblance of calm, he tossed her a bland look over his shoulder, “I am not attempting to hide anything.  Obviously that would be impossible, considering your…gift.”

Jaesa released a derisive snort in reply, “I don’t need to use it to see how much self-loathing you are carrying around. How much you love her and yet utterly hate yourself for it.”

“How dare…!” He began to rise from the chair, but was slammed back into it by an unseen force.

“Sit...down. I’m not done”, the young Sith growled as she stalked over to face him. “You’re worse than the damn Jedi with all of your suppression and guilt and rules. One day, you’ll discover that it’s all a waste…especially when dealing with someone like her. But, by then, it will be too late.”

“You don’t understand!”, he shot back, though his eyes darted away from hers, not wanting to meet her piercing glare.

“I ‘don’t understand’ what? That you’re trying to serve two masters? Even though you know that one day you’re going to have to choose between them.” Jaesa leaned in, jabbing him sharply in the chest. “You can’t keep hedging your bets here…playing it safe by not committing to one or the other.”

This time Quinn returned her glare in full, his voice low…dangerous, “You think I don’t know that?”

“Darth Baras is calling…he orders you to kill her today. Will you do it?”

“I—“, his gaze darts away, brows furrowed in thought.

A smirk tugged at her lips as she turned to stride from the cockpit, tossing over her shoulder, “That’s what I thought…”

Even as he started to rise from the chair to protest, the sound of the airlock cycling echoed through the main hold, followed by Hyperia’s distinct voice, raised in obvious ire.

“That miserable, rotten, manipulating son of a Hutt!”

Quinn emerged into the main hold just in time to see Hyperia and Pierce stride into the room, the Sith’s face flushed with anger. Her golden eyes snapped to him as she gestured towards the cockpit. “Captain, dock us at the Quesh space station. We’re heading planet-side. I’m going to have a nice discussion with Admiral Monk.”

The tone of her voice heavily implied that the discussion would probably be anything but “nice”. Quinn merely bowed his head in acquiescence and returned to the cockpit to carry out her command.

A few moments later, the door slid closed and Hyperia sank unceremoniously into the command chair, raking her fingers through her hair with a frustrated groan. “This is turning into the most frelled-up mess since Duke Kendoh’s idiocy on Alderaan.”

Unable to stifle his curiosity, Quinn glanced back at her, “Did the mission not go as planned?”

She flicked her eyes up to meet his, a sort of almost-manic amusement on her dusky features, “Aside from the fact that Admiral Monk wasn’t even on the flagship…and that this whole thing was a set-up of some sort, that I’m betting that Baras orchestrated himself…and that Moff Masken was annoyed enough at it to actually try to kill me…oh, it went just fine.” Sarcasm dripped from her every word.

Quinn frowned, his mind racing over the potential implications, “You believe that Baras planned the attack on Darth Vengean’s ship?”

“It makes sense. He was very….hedgey when I asked him how Admiral Monk could have known exactly where Vengean’s flagship was. Plus, Moff Masken said that Monk apparently had the flagship’s force field and docking codes.” She shook her head in irritation, “This stinks worse than Hutt sewers in the summertime.”

“Why would he…?” Quinn began, but Hyperia cut him off with a sharp burst of laughter.

“Vengean is Baras’ master. Having his flagship caught unawares and attacked during a sensitive, secret mission? It would be humiliating. Baras is softening him up. He’s no doubt planning on taking his master down in the near future.”

She then fell into a thoughtful silence for a long moment before speaking quietly, “When that happens, there will be little that can stand in his way….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little head-canon thing I decided to do in lieu of following Hyperia through Vengean's flagship. A wee bit of foreshadowing and some canon deviation since in game it's implied that Jaesa has never attempted to "read" Quinn.


	36. The Hunt (Quesh/Hoth Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We Went Into Town On The Tuesday Night  
> Searching All The Places That You Hang About  
> We're Looking For You  
> In The Back Street Cellar Dive Drinking Clubs  
> In The Discotheques And The Gaming Pubs  
> We're Looking For You  
> And We Could Spent Our Whole Lives Waiting  
> For Some Thunderbolt To Come  
> And We Could Spent Our Whole Lives Waiting  
> For Some Justice To Be Done  
> Unless We Make Our Own"  
> \--"The Hunt" by Sepultura
> 
> Quinn tracks down Agent Voloren while Hyperia tackles Baras' mission on Hoth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Finally got through my writer's block for Quesh and Hoth by...well, pretty much not writing about them at all. Instead, i decided to give Quinn some solo time and follow his hunt for the elusive Agent Voloren. My head-canon has been that he was previously Imperial Intelligence, working in their Internal Counterintelligence (IntCor) division, and assigned to keep tabs on Moff Broysc...hence why Broysc was constantly gunning for him and, eventually, maneuvered him into getting court-martialed. So, though we don't see it much in the game, I envision Quinn as having been a bit of a badass back in the day. So, I decided to show off some of his talents here (watching John Wick while working on this helped too).  
> I know the ending is a bit abrupt, but I have more head-canon goodness to expound on with Hyperia and Quinn and didn't want to chapter to run overly-long. So, saving it for the next one.  
> Enjoy!  
> Kudos, comments, and constructive critiques are always welcome!

_“I pity you: his blind, obedient lapdog. No one is safe from Baras…not even you.”_

Admiral Monk’s last words dogged Hyperia’s steps, echoing incessantly in her mind. Discovering that Baras had orchestrated the entire “attack” on his own master’s ship, then sent her in, unknowing, to assassinate his own spy, had her shaken.

_Baras’ grip is tightening. He is not even trusting me with his true plans anymore. It won’t be long now until he makes his move._

With this thought, she couldn’t help but cut a glance to Quinn as he trailed silently in her wake, his thoughts closed off to her. He had grown ever more distant from her since their first evening in Taris and she could still see his cold eyes staring her down as he shot her in her fever dream.

_Does he know when then axe will fall? Is Baras still planning on using him against me? Is he already? Is that why he has become so withdrawn?_

The thoughts battered her mind like insects trapped in a jar. Her stomach twisted in knots as she realized that she was not ready to take on her master. Once, she had been confident in her skills and would have gladly tried to take him down, had the moment presented itself. But if felt like everything has just crumbled beneath her feet in Taris. The rakghoul plague had weakened her physically, while the disturbing fever dreams and Quinn’s aloofness had shaken her mentally and emotionally.

Just as the shuttle had dropped them off at the orbital station, Quinn’s datapad issued a soft beep. Hyperia cast him a curious glance as he paused to scan the text scrolling across the screen. She could feel a faint whisper of elation from behind his mental walls that was reflected in his eyes as he turned to her.

“My Lord, I must request permission to take a brief leave of absence to take care of an urgent matter.”

For a moment, her gut twisted with apprehension, unable to help but worry that her fears were about to be realized. But, even with his mind mostly closed to her, she could not feel any hint of deception or that this had anything to do with Baras or her. Nevertheless, she could not help but be wary.

“What is this about, Captain?”

“You recall my mentioning the SIS agent Voloren some time back and how Moff Broysc cut my search for him short on a whim?”

Hyperia nodded, the resentment over the situation still tinging his words as it had the first time he had brought it up, months ago.

“I have had…agents…on the lookout for him since then and it has finally paid off. There is a small window of opportunity to confront him. I can handle the matter personally, with your permission.”

For a brief moment, she considered offering to accompany him for backup, but something told her that this was a chance to show her trust in him. So, she merely inclined her head in acquiescence, “Permission granted, Captain. Good luck. I do not know where Baras is sending us next, but just contact the ship when you are ready to return and we will let you know where to rendezvous.”

“Thank you, my Lord. I hope to return shortly.”

Without another word, he spun on his heel and made his way towards one of the shuttles that would take him to his destination.

\-------------------------

 _Nar Shaddaa_.

Quinn paused to take in the riotous neon landscape of the Hutt planet as he stepped from the spaceport. The last time they had touched down in this spaceport, it was to celebrate Hyperia’s elevation to Lord, though neither of them had even left the ship.

His knuckles went white as his fingers dug into his palms at the memory. It was one he wanted to hold onto forever, yet at the same time wished that he could forget.

_Bodies entwined, his name carried upon gasps of ecstasy, torn from her lips as her nails dug into sweat-sheened flesh._

Shaking his head, he tried to divest himself of these distracting thoughts, reminded of why he had never indulged in such vices until he had met her. _You are losing your edge. Focus on the job at hand._

With that, he strode towards the taxi stand. He had changed into nondescript civilian attire…a simple grey jacket and pants with a plain white undershirt…and ruffled his usual military-cut hair into a haphazard disarray. When he addressed the transportation droid with his destination, “Promenade, Lower Level”, his voice was completely devoid of its usual Imperial accent, in favor of a drawl that resembled something between Mantellian and Outer Rim.

All senses were on high alert as the taxi deposited him on the Promenade just around the corner from his final destination: the Slippery Slopes cantina. As he made his way down the hallway leading into the cantina proper, a flick of his wrist sent a small magnetic disk flying to adhere to the wall behind one of the many flashing neon signs adorning it.

Without missing a step, he emerged into the main room, awash in neon lights pulsing to the beat of the music. His gaze flicked among the various patrons of a multitude of species as he casually ambled to the bar. His quarry lounged against it at the farthest end, his back to the wall, his eyes surreptitiously watching the door. Agent Voloren didn’t look like much: middle-aged, thinning sandy-blonde hair, a slight paunch that strained the belt of the nondescript worker’s jumpsuit he wore…but Quinn knew better. He had followed this man’s career for over a decade and there was nothing ordinary about him.

 _He has single-handedly taken out more Imperial agents and interfered with more vital operations than ten agents combined._ Add to that, the man seemed to be able to elude anyone sent to take him out. _I had been so close. If it wasn’t for Moff Broysc’s incompetence…._ Quinn let that thought turn his veins to ice as he sauntered casually over to Voloren. _This ends today…_

Quinn could feel the man’s gaze sizing him up, only the briefest flicker of surprise evident on his pasty features before retreating back into the bored placidity. _He recognized me._ Quinn felt a surge of adrenaline. It wasn’t unexpected….it would just require a change in tactics.

“Lieutenant Malavai Quinn….or, rather, I hear it’s Captain now”, Voloren drawled, pushing away from the bar. “Heard you finally managed to escape that rock. Figured it would only be a matter of time before you came looking for me again. You always were a stubborn S.O.B.”

Before Quinn could respond, Voloren turned towards a nearby door to one of the private rooms. “How about we take this private so we don’t disturb the good patrons here?”

The hairs upon the nape of Quinn’s neck tingled as he followed Voloren through the doorway. _It’s a trap…_ Somehow, that thought did not dissuade him, but only fueled the adrenaline rush of anticipation. He had not felt an exhilaration…a sense of being exactly where he truly belonged…this keenly since he had first piloted the Avril’s Fire on its departure from Balmorra.

Indeed, as the door slid closed behind him, several figures stepped out of the shadowed corners of the room, blasters drawn. He lightly ran his thumb over the detonator switch concealed in the palm of his glove, but did not yet activate it. _Wait…wait…_

Voloren turned to him with a victorious smirk on his lips, the expression growing as the light revealed his henchmen to be clad in Imperial uniforms. “Moff Broysc sends his regards….”

As shock registered on Quinn’s features, Voloren continued triumphantly, “Yes, I was a double agent for Broysc. Why do you think he pulled you off the case? You were getting a little too close for comfort. A little too close to tying all the strings together to see the big picture. He couldn’t have one of you IntCon spooks ferreting out his operations.”

Quinn’s mind was awhirl at this revelation, the pieces slowly pulling themselves together into a semi-coherent whole. _I knew he suspected who I really worked for, but I assumed that the Voloren case was just an excuse to sully my record even further…instead, he was saving his own agent from my discovering what he was up to._

“He thought he’d finally gotten rid of you. Even if that bloated Sith managed to save you from execution or a MaxSec sentence for life, we figured there wasn’t much you could do, stuck on Balmorra for the rest of your life. Guess we were wrong.” The Imperials began closing in around him as Voloren drew his own blaster, “We’ll fix that though. Broysc won’t have to worry about you anymore…”

All the while Voloren had been talking, Quinn had been taking in the surroundings, every synapse firing to calculate positions of the soldiers, potential cover, where the metal tile ended and the carpet began, the firing rate of their weapons. Before the last word had left the double agent’s lips, Quinn activated the detonator hidden in the palm of his glove, and a soft “pop!” echoed from the hallway, dropping the entire cantina into darkness and a brief silence.

Startled cries sounded from around him and muffled through the doorway, as he dove for the floor, drawing the twin holdout blasters concealed beneath his jacket. The room briefly lit up with a criss-cross of scarlet light as the soldiers blindly opened fire on the space where he had once stood. In that brief second, he snapped off two quick shots, downing two Imperials closest to him, then rolled to find cover behind a divan in the corner.

“Cease fire, you fools!” Voloren’s voice echoed through the darkness. “The emergency generators will cut on any second now….”

Even as he spoke, the lights flickered back on in a dull orange glow, the throbbing beat of the music once again pounding through the cantina. In that brief second of distraction, Quinn slid up behind one of the Imperials and fired a shot point-blank into his back before shoving the falling body towards the next nearest who instinctively opened fire on his comrade’s corpse.

Even as his few remaining men began to panic, Voloren stood firm in the center of the room, narrowed eyes following Quinn’s darting movement before squeezing off two shots as Quinn slid across the floor to find cover behind an overturned table. The agent’s lips turned in a triumphant smirk at the quick gasp of pain as one shot found its mark, scorching a line through the sleeve of his jacket.

Quinn gritted his teeth against the pain searing across his arm and took a couple of deep breaths to focus. _Two more, plus Voloren himself._ He could hear their feet shuffling on the floor and gauged their positions. _Coming around to flank while Voloren waits for me to pop my head up. I’ll have to time this just right…_

He slid down until he was almost lying on the ground…forcing the two Imperials to walk all the way around the fallen table in order to get a bead on him…and placed his feet against the table, his knees drawn to his chest, every sense alive with anticipation. The second they came into view, he snapped out his blasters, biting back the flash of pain surging through his left arm and felled them with a shot from each one. At the same time, he violently thrust the table towards Voloren, sending him staggering off-balance.

Even as Quinn regained his feet, he took advantage of Voloren’s distraction and shot him in the leg, eliciting a sharp cry of pain as the agent sank to one knee. Quinn crossed the floor to press the barrel of the blaster to Voloren’s temple, his voice breathless but tinged with a sort of smug anger.

“You’ve lost, Voloren. I should have you hauled into Imperial Intelligence for a very long and very painful interrogation. However, your master would no doubt find some way to weasel you out of it. But he’ll be getting what is coming to him soon enough after I send them the recording of you admitting to being his spy. I’ll make sure to give him your regards when it’s his turn…” Without waiting for a response, he fired a single shot through the agent’s head and turned to walk away before the body had even hit the floor, a sense of satisfaction radiating through the exhaustion and pain.

\-----------------------

“Ugh…I don’t know if I’ll ever be warm again”, Vette groaned as she followed in Hyperia’s wake through the airlock of their ship. Their mission on the icy planet had been a success, but there seemed to be no respite from the bone-chilling cold.

Even Hyperia seemed worn-out from fighting the Jedi, Xarander and his master. _It should not have been as difficult as it was. Even the Talz almost proved more of a challenge than I could handle. What is happening to me?_ She berated herself inwardly before coming to an abrupt halt just outside her quarters.

“What is that noise?” Even as she murmured the question, she already knew the answer. She slapped the locking switch and the door opened with a soft hiss to reveal the crimson-lit forms of her apprentice and Pierce caught in the throes of passion.

With a sharp gesture, she flung the pair of them from the bed to land at her feet in a crumpled heap, eliciting cries of surprise and pain. “You dare….”

Jaesa was the first to recover, staggering to her feet with little shame at her state of undress. “Master, I….”

Another wave of force flowed from Hyperia’s outstretched hand to slam her to the floor, “In MY quarters?! On MY bed?! I tolerate your indulgences to a point, but you have overstepped your bounds.”

Pierce pulled himself to a kneeling position and also began to speak, “M’Lord…”

“Shut….up…” Glaring daggers at the pair, she stepped aside and gestured to the door. “Gather your things and get out...better yet, get off of my ship. Perhaps a week on Hoth will cool your cravings. Report to Commander Tritan when you get there so that he can put you to some sort of productive use. I will…maybe…return for you when we have completed our next assignment.”

As the pair made their way from her room, she glanced about the ship, “I assume Captain Quinn has not yet returned…considering I doubt he would put up with your little antics either.”

“No, M’Lord”, Pierce rumbled abashedly as Jaesa scurried to her quarters.

Even as the words left his lips, the airlock cycled again and Quinn’s familiar voice echoed from the entrance. “I am here, my Lord.”

Hyperia turned to face her errant second-in-command, her golden-eyed gaze sweeping over him appraisingly. There was a certain…air to him that she had not seen before. A confidence that radiated from him, along with a wave of pride and satisfaction.

“I assume your mission was a success?”

“Indeed it was, my Lord. I am pleased to report that Agent Voloren’s decade of espionage has been brought to an end.”

A smile tugged at her lips as she took in the rakish hair, the unkempt attire, and the almost manic glimmer in his deep blue eyes. This was not the same Quinn who she had last seen on Quesh…this little excursion had changed him. She found herself more drawn to him than ever.

“It’s not every day you get to close the book on an old score.”

“This is a great day for the Empire...and long overdue.” Inclining his head respectfully to her, he continued, “With your permission, I will get cleaned up and make ready to depart. Assuming your mission is complete, of course.”

“It is…though Lieutenant Pierce and my apprentice have some…business planet-side to attend to. We shall return to pick them up after our next assignment.”

Quinn quirked a curious eyebrow at that, unable to keep from wondering what had transpired just before his arrival. Pierce had been standing just inside Hyperia’s quarters in an obvious state of undress. He felt a momentary flare of jealousy, but stamped it out ruthlessly. _Who she dallies with makes no difference to me now. There are far more important things to deal with. Like sending this intel about Broysc off to IntCor._

As his mind processed this, she frowned, noticing the burn mark slashed across his sleeve, "Are you injured, Captain?"

"It is nothing, my Lord."

Gesturing idly to the medbay, she shrugged, "Get yourself patched up while I contact Baras. That's an order."

“Of course, my Lord. I will await your instruction when you are ready.” Offering her another bow, he turned to duck into the medbay, leaving her watching his retreating form with a mix of curiosity and fascination.


	37. Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're damaged people  
> Drawn together  
> By subtleties that we are not aware of  
> Disturbed souls  
> Playing out forever  
> These games that we once thought we would be scared of  
> \--"Damaged People" by Depeche Mode
> 
> Hyperia and Quinn arrive at Dromund Kaas for a very important assignment from Baras that will change everything. But for good...or ill?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a bit of a break from Dragon Age for the moment to slide back into SWTOR. Thanks to a Twitter poll, I started yet another Sith Warrior, so that really kick-started my urge to jump back into writing this.  
> Ironically, I already had this chapter written months ago, but have been sitting on it since then because I hadn't completely decided how the whole Draagh scenario would play out. I had three entire chapters written...and posted...way back when I first started writing this series, but pulled it because I ended up fast-forwarding the romance. It wasn't supposed to start until right about now but, since I changed that, I had to retcon a lot of what I had originally planned for this segment.  
> After some thought, I'm pretty sure how it's going to play out and how it will work into the future Quinncident. It's just a matter of getting all these new puzzle pieces to fit together in a way that makes sense.  
> Enjoy!

_Dromund Kaas._

The humid jungle air enveloped the pair as soon as they emerged from the spaceport. Quinn followed Hyperia in silence, lost in thought as they made their way to the taxi stand. He was grateful that this has been their destination; it would allow him to make his debriefing to Imperial Intelligence in person rather than via holo. He could not help but wonder if they still retained the same Keeper or if he had been caught up in the chaos after the destruction of Darth Jadus’ entourage. His sister, Lexandra, had gone radio silent shortly afterwards, but Quinn was not certain if something had befallen her or if she was in deep cover.

When he had received the notification concerning Voloren, he had assumed it had come from her. But upon some digging, he had found that the data signature was a generic one, not linked to any particular agent. It still could have been her, trying to cover her tracks, but some niggling feeling told him that it wasn’t.

As they entered the vast halls of the Sith Sanctum, Quinn could feel an unseen weight bearing down upon him. The Dark Side was strong everywhere on Dromund Kaas….it permeated the entire planet…but here, it was at its strongest. It was at that moment he realized that this was his first time within the inner-most reaches of the Sith’s power base. It was rare for a non-Sith to walk these halls…end even rarer still for one to emerge unscathed. The feeling was akin to slowly having one’s life squeezed out with an ice-cold blanket of durasteel.

Quinn took a deep breath to try and settle his thoughts as a shiver ran down his spine. A moment later, the feeling suddenly dissipated. A glance towards Hyperia verified that she was the cause, for she was eyeing him with a crooked smile upon her lips.

“Better?”

Dipping his head in grateful respect, he replied, “Yes, my Lord. You have my thanks.”

She waved his gratitude away with an idle gesture, “I do not know what Baras has planned, so I need you to be focused and at your best right now.”

They walked the remaining distance to Baras’ office in silence and found the Dark Lord pacing restlessly within his sanctum, his metal-shroud head snapping up as soon as they crossed the threshold.

“Good, you have returned. Listen closely, apprentice, there is no time to waste.”

Hyperia had not seen her master so restless since her earliest days in his service when he was attempting to break the willful SIS agent. There was a sort of heightened anticipation radiating from him that she could feel without even trying. She could not help but wonder what it might bode for her.

“Plan Zero was always my design. I had been whispering it into Darth Vengean’s ear for quite some time now. Inciting full-scale war was but one goal. The other, the downfall of Vengean himself so that I may ascend to his place on the Dark Council.”

This came as little surprise to her, especially after having discovered Baras’ manipulation of Admiral Monk and Moff Masken. She felt poised on the knife’s edge, for the destruction of Baras’ master could signal either her ascension alongside him….or she might just end up sharing Vengean’s fate. She could feel Baras’ gaze silently assessing her reaction as she fought for words.

“I had a feeling that might have been the case”, she replied with a respectful incline of her head. _Let him realize my astuteness and yet believe I am still his willing servant._

“The Dark Council is incensed. They do not appreciate being undermined and are calling for Vengean’s head.” He paused and Hyperia could almost feel the devious smile growing beneath his mask, “How would you like to have a hand in taking out one of the twelve most powerful Sith in the galaxy?”

Fighting back the dread beginning to grow within her gut, Hyperia tugged her lips into an eager, feral smile, “Just give the word, my Lord.”

“Good…good. If Vengean is taken down by my apprentice, the Council will shudder to imagine how powerful I must be.” Baras rubbed his hands gleefully together as he continued. “There is, however, one small wrinkle in my plan. Vengean’s apprentice, Lord Draahg, has been secretly working for me and was discovered and captured before I could extract him. You will need to rescue him before you face Vengean together.”

While she had her reservations about facing Vengean alone, having one of Baras’ other apprentices at her back did not settle well with Hyperia at all. “Forgive me my Lord, but you are saying that you wish me to save someone who could be my rival?”

“I never said he was your rival, apprentice”, Baras’ tone took on an annoyed impatience, “You will need his assistance to breach Vengean’s chambers. Besides”, annoyance turned to bemusement, “he rather admires you.”

While it was no doubt meant to be reassuring, that last bit only set off more warning bells in Hyperia’s mind. _So this Lord Draahg knows enough about me to “admire” me, but I knew nothing at all about his existence until this moment. He already has the advantage over me in that regard. What has Baras told him?_

Before she could ruminate on it any further, Baras passed her a small hypospray, “Use this resuscitation stimulant on Draahg when you find him. Now, be off!”

As Quinn moved to follow her, Baras gestured sharply, “Not you, Captain. The inner sanctum of the Dark Council is not meant for Imperial eyes. You will stay here.”

Hyperia felt the blood rush from her face with dread and her stomach clench with fear as she watched Quinn bristle slightly before bowing deeply to Baras, “As you command, my Lord.”

Taking a deep breath, she recomposed herself to turn and exit his chambers with a confidence that she did not truly feel.

Quinn watched her depart with a similar sinking feeling growing, even as he felt Baras’ gaze upon him. He fought for calm as he quietly inquired, “A trap, my Lord?”

“Not of the sort you may be thinking, Captain”, Baras rumbled in reply. “The endgame is near and all of the pieces must have their place on the board.”

While he was afraid to ask, Quinn found he couldn’t stop himself, “And Draahg? Is he pawn, or…?”

“We shall see…”

\------------------------------------

Hyperia leaned against a wall for a brief moment to catch her breath. The forces guarding the chamber where Lord Draahg was being held were not particularly powerful, but they were numerous and, without Quinn at her side, she only now realized how much she depended on him for support.

_What is Baras’ game here? Is he trying to wear me down before springing some sort of trap? Is Draahg’s hand the one he has chosen to take me down? I had thought it would be Quinn, but…perhaps Baras suspects that his loyalty has wavered?_

She eyed the interrogation chamber door for a moment, the realization that her death might be waiting beyond it weighing upon her, then took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

She couldn’t help but be mildly surprised that it was just as Baras had said: Lord Draahg was strapped to an interrogation table and looked quite the worse for wear. For a moment, she pondered leaving him to die, but as she approached him and his eyes slowly fluttered open, she began to have second thoughts.

He was rather handsome: young and powerfully built with disheveled light brown hair framing a face streaked with crimson Sith tattoos, and pale hazel eyes. _Another one of Baras’ attempts to have someone seduce me into compliance, perhaps?_ , she mused even as she jabbed the hypo into his arm.

The stimulant worked quickly and he seemed to regain his strength, turning his gaze upon her with obvious gratitude, “You…and Baras have my thanks.” His voice had a sort of breathless richness to it. Hyperia attributed some of that to his wounded state, but even so, she had to admit it only lent more credence to her theory that Baras had deliberately chosen the man as his apprentice for more than his martial abilities.

She gave him a moment to recover, then deactivated the restraints on the table. Draahg hopped from it with a graceful nimbleness that belayed his size, then swayed slightly on his feet as he regained his footing, one hand reflexively grasping at her shoulder to steady himself.

That brief contact took her by surprise…which gave way to a slight shiver that raced down her spine as his hand lightly trailed down her arm, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips for an instant before he stepped away. “My apologies. It would seem that Vengean’s attentions took a greater toll that I had thought.”

“Are you sure you’re up for this?,” she asked with a touch of impatience.

Another slow smile tugged at the Sith’s lips, “Of course. It was but a momentary lapse. Thank you for your concern.”

For a moment, Hyperia pondered whether to play along with the man’s assumption that his seduction was working…or to shut him down right away. Reaching out to lightly touch his mind, she found only admiration, a great deal of desire, and a trace of anxiety. _He’s either just as he seems or he’s very good at hiding his true emotions._ She didn’t want to dig any deeper, for fear of him sensing it and she couldn’t help but recall one of the reasons why Baras had chosen her as his apprentice: her seemingly-innocuous appearance and demeanor. _And this Lord Draahg seems cut from the same mold._

That thought actually sent another chill racing up her spine. _We’re a matched set. I wonder how much we really have in common?_ Feeling his curious gaze upon her, she shook herself out of her thoughts and waved away his gratitude. “I just do not want you to become a liability when we face Vengean.”

“That you need not worry about”, a trace of irritation threaded through his words as he turned to retrieve his lightsaber from a nearby storage compartment. “We will need to split up in order to reach his inner sanctum. I have a key that I have hidden away, but it will take stealth to reach it.”

Once more, that sense of dread began to reassert itself in Hyperia’s gut, “Is that a good idea…splitting up?”

“It will be difficult enough for me to reach it alone undetected. Another person in tow would make it impossible”, his tone softened as he fixed her with an intent gaze, “I swear to you that I will be there with the key. We can do this.”

Hyperia just returned his stare for a moment, every sense screaming to her that this was some sort of trap. But what else could she do? “Very well. Do not disappoint me.”

“Oh, I won’t…you can count on that.” There was an unspoken promise of things to come underlying his words, eliciting a brief tug of her lips into a bemused smirk as she slipped through the door leading into the main hall of Vengean’s compound.

_This is going to be interesting….if I survive…_

 


End file.
